World's End
by frekat
Summary: Omnipotence was not something the True Issei had expected once he had died. He completed his goals in life, saved the universe and exiled himself to his own dimension, wasting away as he pursued his thirst for knowledge and his ability to watch the lives of other unsuspecting Isseis. After a while, he becomes bored and possesses the body of an Issei, aiming to change the future!
1. Chapter 1

He sat on his cosmic throne with a frown, staring at a gaseous screen in disapproval. He sighed, straightened his back and waved the screen away with a flick of the hand, the small cloud instantly dissipating into smaller clouds of gas, "So another one of those weaklings have died. It's to be expected, though, as they're not like me. They're not the 'True Issei Hyoudou'."

Issei slid out of his throne and descended a set of stairs as they formed under his feet, wandering around the strange dimension that was his home. Even if he had been living for a millennia, he could never understand the dimension he was in. It was gaseous, that much was obvious, but that was all he knew. Issei couldn't even deconstruct the gas that would follow his every command, both conscious and subconscious, because a strange force wouldn't allow him to do so.

Even if he commanded the gas to reveal its secrets in a worded form, it would not do so and it frustrated the omnipotent being to no end. The only thing he could do in this dimension was continuously gain an infinite amount of knowledge or watch the struggles of various Issei's, all of which ended in boredom and some kind of death.

The Issei that the 'True Issei' had just seen was an overly perverted human who had become a devil easier than the others had. The devil group seemed to be a common denominator in all of the lives he observes, and it's almost always because of a strange power that the boy would inherit upon his birth, the only thing that made him special and worth watching.

The True Issei knew it was the mythical Boosted Gear because he had experienced its nostalgic power in a time that has long passed. He did not have that power anymore, though, as he had once died and had lost the privilege to hold that power.

"Now, what shall I do? I believe I have run out of things to do in this realm." That was almost true. The only thing the True Issei hasn't experienced was the power of a strange black hole in a corner of his dimension. It was dangerous to an ordinary human and any normal matter, but the gas that formed this dimension and Issei himself were not normal in any way. In fact, Issei thought he was very strange and mystical, so much so that he couldn't remember a single human word that could describe him. That fleeting thought entertained him for a little while before it quickly left his mind.

"Should I enter the black hole?" Issei suddenly stopped in his tracks and closed his eyes, feeling the dark energy of the black hole pollute his dimension. Continuously knowing what the aura and energy of the anomaly felt like meant it was quite easy for the omnipotent being to pinpoint its location down to the nearest millimetre. He could feel its shape and its gravitational pull in his mind and how it wanted to consume everything it could, even though it was unable to suck anything into it.

Issei couldn't even figure out how it was surviving without consuming any matter. Maybe it was designed to survive without eating anything. Maybe it was designed to eat and kill Issei and nothing else, even if he was technically immortal and unkillable. Maybe it was a portal into another dimension or universe that would entertain Issei for a little while. That wasn't likely though, as Issei has exiled himself from the human world.

Issei released a breath as he edged closer to the anomaly, the strong gravitational pull threatening to pull him off of his feet. He stepped back once and sighed, scratching the side of his head before he began to move towards the thing that consumes all life, "I guess it's time to figure out what this thing does." He jumped, watched as the darkness approached at a rapid rate and closed his eyes, anticipating his death.

* * *

"Ouch…my head…" Issei held his head in his hands with grit teeth as a multitude of colours and sounds hit him like a freight train. From a standing position in a corridor, he stumbled towards a nearby wall and quickly fell onto his knees, dropping his hands from his skull and onto the floor to hold him up. A hand reached up to cover his mouth as he gagged and retched, bile flowing from his throat and into his mouth at a steady rate. After a few moments, his mouth was filled with his own vomit and he had no choice but to release the contents all over the wooden floor boards that he had been staring at for the past minute.

Issei's throat burned, his eyes watered and his nose would only inhale the acidic scent of his putrid stomach acids, despite his attempts to not breathe. However, his body would fight for the oxygen it needed, even if vomit was continuously spilling out of his throat, so he choked on his own vomit, spat up a ball of phlegm instead and wiped his mouth with his sleeve once he had emptied the contents of his stomach all over the floor beneath him.

Issei fell back onto his bottom with his arms supporting his body while he stared up at the roof, gasping for air. He glanced at a few spectators, rolled his eyes with a heavy sigh when he realised they weren't going to help him and spat into the large puddle of vomit in front of him. "Blech. I forgot that stomach acids and bile taste absolutely disgusting. However, it is nice to know that I made it back to the human world after so long." Issei slowly pushed himself to his feet and used the wall as a support. "Now…"

He fell forwards with a loud thunk and lay still with his head in the puddle of vomit, watching as his vision slowly darkened. Someone rushed over to him, crouched down next to him and shouted some words that landed on Issei's temporarily deaf ears. Soon, the only thing he could cherish was the sweet darkness of sleep.

But Issei knew he had lost consciousness, and when his eyes fluttered open in what seemed like a few seconds later, he wasn't surprised at all. "The nurse's office, huh?" Issei frowned and stared up at the cream ceiling, not daring to move his body in the slightest. He knew that his appearance in the human world should be devastating, but because nothing had happened, he could only assume that he possessed the body of another Issei. To Issei, that explained everything from his vomiting to his passing out, but he couldn't figure out why he had ended up possessing an Issei's body.

He could care less, though. There were too many universes for the omnipotent being to count so a little bit of fun in one of them shouldn't cause any damage, even if he had eliminated what could be considered the protagonist of this universe. Every Issei was destined for greatness in some way, even if it's nonsensical or villainous, and that's how they obtained their 'protagonist' status. Just because they existed, the universe would continue to exist until their eventual death. That's how it always has been and that's how it would stay, even if they acquired the ability to become 'immortal'. Someone or something always found a way to kill them.

But this Issei, the True Issei, was a real immortal being, one who would regenerate even if every single atom of his being was singlehandedly destroyed and spread across the far reaches of the multiple dimensions in the universe. There was simply no way to kill him and that was that. If his body was destroyed, he'd reappear and there was nothing no one could do about it.

In a sense, Issei was glad that he was the True Issei. It offered him the chance to do so many things he would have never dreamed of doing while in his original universe, but his status as the True Issei of the multiverse carried many negative implications along with it.

Such as an eternal life that he wished would end.

"Ah, Issei Hyoudou, you're awake." Issei slowly craned his neck towards the direction of the speaker and he wasn't surprised to see the school's nurse standing next to his bed, a small smile on her face.

"Yes, I am. Now, what do you need me to do before I can be set free? I have things to do." The nurse giggled and sat on the edge of Issei's bed, a clipboard pressed against her lap as she idly spun a pen in one hand.

"Well, are you feeling nauseous?"

"Nope." The nurse ticked a box on a piece of paper.

"Can you move?" Issei raised an arm, twisted his head to the side and bent his leg at the knee.

"Yes." The nurse ticked the second box on the same piece of paper.

"Any known medical conditions…?" The nurse paused for a second before she chuckled to herself, tucking the clipboard under one arm. "I don't need to ask that question. All of your medical details should be on your file!" The nurse enthusiastically jumped to her feet and turned to face Issei. "You're free to go, but if you want to stay a while to regain your strength or ask me some questions, feel free to. School has only just ended, after all." Issei's eyes followed the nurse as she pushed a curtain to the side, one of the few things Issei hadn't seen while staring up at the roof, and as she fell onto a chair where continued to fill out some paperwork. Issei quickly resumed his staring contest with the roof and frowned.

"Wait…does that mean I'll have to go through school again?" Issei paled as he already knew the answer to his question.

* * *

Issei removed a kink in his shoulder with a single shrug, appreciating the end of the school day. He rolled his neck on its base, stretched his arms out above his head and moaned from the pleasure, ignoring the game he was playing on a handheld device that was lying flat on his desk. He hunched over ever so slightly, staring up at the blackboard and the homework task that was written on it before he turned his console off with a single tap of a button. "Homework? Who needs homework?" He muttered to himself as he shoved his textbooks and handheld into his bag.

"You need homework to get good grades, Issei." The teacher called out from the front of the class. Issei glared at her for a second, shrugged his shoulders again and pushed his chair out with his feet, stretching his legs out before he stood up. He pushed his chair under his desk, stood behind the lump of wood as he stretched his arms out for the second time and grabbed his bag off of the floor, slinging it around his shoulder and under his arm.

"Well, I already have good grades so I don't need homework." The teacher grinned and chuckled as Issei slipped past his classmates, ninety percent of them female.

"That's up for debate, Issei. You never know what your score is going to be on your next test." Issei stopped at the doorway of his classroom and glanced in his teacher's direction.

"Yeah, yeah. I get it. I _should_ do my homework to improve my grades but I _won't_ because I think they're a waste of time." The teacher chuckled again as she collected some papers from her podium.

"See you tomorrow, kid."

"See you tomorrow!" Issei left the classroom with a smile. The class he had just been in, which was chemistry, was his favourite because the teacher made it very entertaining. Even though Issei already knew all of the material the class was studying because of his omnipotence and thirst for knowledge, he found the lessons to be informative and educational because the teacher had a passion for teaching. Not to mention the humour and relatable topics she usually incorporated into her explanations and class discussions. "Now, where to go? Maybe I could go wipe the floor with the kendo club again…no, that's too easy. Maybe I should go join the track team because I'm so fast? No, winning all the time isn't fun at all…ah, but it does boost my already large ego."

Issei slowly made his way home as he thought about the various clubs and communities he could join at his school. A lot of them were entertaining, such as the kendo club and the track and field club, but a lot of them were _too_ easy for him. He was physically fit and strong, had the fastest reaction times possible and could easily win in a fight against a normal human, so he never joined any club because he knew he would always win school and national tournaments, even if the leaders of the clubs continuously begged him to join.

Issei always denied their requests, though, as he had one goal.

That one goal involved a certain fallen angel, a red-headed devil and an introduction to the supernatural in this universe. The easy life wasn't fit for Issei and Issei wasn't built for the easy life, so ignoring the supernatural wasn't the easiest thing to do. However, this time around, on his second time experiencing everything again, Issei would change the events that had happened in his universe, even if it destroyed the world.

All he wanted was a little fun, anyway.

* * *

 **Hey-ho, how does it go? It's me with this story. For returning readers and the new adventurers, I thoroughly welcome you! To the returning readers, how is my third person writing? Better than my first person? Of course it is! It's subjectively easier to write in third person than it is in first person. To the people who read Touched by Death, don't worry. I'm still writing that one.**

 **Don't forget to follow this story and leave reviews! I'm not asking you to, so you totally should ;)**

 **See you next time!**


	2. Chapter 2

A small flicker of flame danced around in Issei's cupped hand. It would run along the lines in his palm, twirl around his finger and then jump back into the centre of his hand, appearing to dance in a joyous fashion. Its brightness increased as it flared once, twice and then thrice as it slowly grew in size before it suddenly exploded into a small cloud of smoke.

Issei clenched his hand shut to hide the smoke from his peers and his teacher, even though he was sure that his educational instructor had seen the whole thing. Issei didn't mind though. He knew his chemistry teacher was a laidback woman who wouldn't call him out on it in front of the entire class, choosing to keep him after class for a little while and that was what Issei was hoping would happen.

Today was the day that a normal Issei would almost always be killed by Raynare the Fallen Angel.

However, being the one True Issei and an immensely powerful being meant that fate could not control what happens to Issei. Instead, Issei would control fate itself and bend its will to bother others for his fleeting amusement and entertainment. After living for a millennia, one would usually run out of things to do, so these childish acts were the only things that Issei was able to cherish.

"Alright, guys. I expect you to read page seventy to eighty in your textbooks for homework. That means you too, Issei. Oh, could you also stay behind for a bit, kid? I have a few things I want to ask you. Class dismissed!" In a flurry of movements, most of Issei's peers shoved their things into their bags, followed by their immediate departure. A couple of students hung back in the classroom, conversing amongst themselves as Issei stretched his arms above his head.

"Did you see my little trick, huh?" Issei moaned as his shoulder cracked in its socket, waves of numb pleasure rushing down his spine. He lowered his arms, gathered his textbook and game console and placed them in his bag, waiting for his teacher to respond. The young woman stared down at him with a frown, her hands on her hips.

"If you think I'll believe that that was real magic, you must think I'm an idiot. Although, it was pretty sweet." Issei sheepishly rubbed the back of his head with a grin, his mind shouting from joy as his cover had not been compromised. Deep down, Issei knew that Rias Gremory had detected his magic, as well as Sona Sitri, and instantly regretted his impulsive action. However, he knew that those two would pass it off as nothing more than a mere coincidence and leave at that, but if he tinkered with the arcane once more on school grounds, he'd have more than few answers to question, as well as a few people he'd be seeing.

"Thanks, I guess?" Issei's teacher grinned and ruffled the messy hair of what seemed to be an innocent young boy in her eyes, a groan of complaint coming from said boy.

"But don't mess around in class like that again. I know you think school is boring, as well as homework, but I at least want you to listen in class so you have a decent chance of getting a high grade." Issei scratched his cheek with a faint smile.

"Well, I do try my hardest to complete my homework, but it's just sooooooo boring." The teacher chuckled.

"I agree with you there. When I was at school, which wasn't too long ago mind you, I absolutely despised doing homework. I also hated how angry my teachers would get when I openly admitted that I hadn't even tried to complete it." The teacher folded her arms and leaned on a nearby desk. Issei supported his head with a hand as his eyes lazily tracked the teacher and he sighed, noticing the setting sun in his peripherals.

"They only wanted the best for you, just like you want the best for me. However, that doesn't mean I'm doing my homework because you care for me. I'd rather waste my time playing video games." The teacher rose an eyebrow.

"You remind me of myself when I was your age." Issei grinned and reached into his bag, pulling his handheld out with an extravagant flourish of his hand.

"Wanna play? I bet I could easily beat you." The teacher huffed and pushed herself off of the desk she was leaning on, shoving a hand into a pocket.

"I would if I still wasn't at work." Issei's grin fell into a pout as the teacher walked away from the omnipotent being, a faint smile present on her face. "I have things to do in the staffroom, kid, so you're gonna have to leave now. As much as you hate to hear it, I can't leave you in here for safety reasons, yada yada yada. All of that crap." Issei shoved his handheld back into his bag and pushed his chair out with his feet.

"Fine, fine. I'll spare you the trouble of dealing with a teenager who's filled with angst and leave." Issei stood on his feet, pushed his chair under his desk with a single hand and slung the strap of his bag around his neck, feeling the comfortable weight of the useful accessory under his opposite arm.

"Angst? You are literally anything but that monster you just described." Issei chuckled and quickly left the classroom with pocketed hands, waiting in the hall for his teacher as she collected a few papers off of her podium.

"I'm still not doing my homework, though." Issei shouted as he waited for the educational instructor, the sun slowly falling behind the horizon outside the window he was facing. The sun was still bright and gave the sky a comfortable tangerine hue, but it brought comfort to the immortal being as he had forgotten what a sunset had looked like. Issei's teacher, after she had grabbed her bag and had left the classroom, locked the door behind her. She furrowed her brow when she noticed Issei, held a hand to her hip and loudly cleared her throat.

"You're still here? I'm sure you have better things to do, kid, like the homework that you're _supposed_ to complete." Issei snorted and casually waved a hand in front of his face.

"Dying is better than doing homework, you know." Issei's teacher sighed and ran a hand through her hair.

"Of course it is. Anyway, I'll see you tomorrow. If you don't kill yourself over doing your homework, that is." The teacher winked and left without saying another word, a hand raised as she slowly strode down the lengthy corridor.

Issei sighed and scratched his head as he awkwardly stood in the middle of the corridor, not a single soul in sight. In the distance, the shouts and cries of ordinary teenagers doing ordinary things were very much recognised by the omnipotent being, something he continued to listen to until they faded away as he began his trek home.

"Maybe I could buy myself an ice cream before Raynare finds me." He had muttered to himself, gripping the strap of his bag until his knuckles turned white. No matter how hard he had tried to stall the inevitable, fate somehow found a way to control Issei's future, even if it was for a single moment, and he absolutely despised that. He despised the fact that the meeting with Raynare was a predetermined event, something that was unavoidable.

* * *

Issei fell onto his bed with a pleasured moan, collecting the fabrics of his bedsheets in his hand. He clenched his fist, slowly shut his eyes and smiled, knowing that he had avoided a very painful death just by avoiding his killer on his way home.

Even if he was set to die many days after his initial meeting with Raynare, it was still reassuring to know that the encounter that would lead to his death didn't even occur; the meeting on the bridge, Raynare's innocent act, the promise of a date. None of it happened and Issei genuinely felt safe.

"Right…to celebrate my life, maybe I should do some homework." Issei sat up, silently yawning as he did so, and reached into his school bag. He pulled his handheld console out of it, eyed the plastic electronic device for a few seconds, grimaced and tossed it onto the empty bedding next to him. He retrieved his textbook and an empty notebook from the bag and silently flicked through the pages of his textbook, an eyebrow twitching from annoyance. He rapidly flipped through the pages. "So I forgot what my homework was, huh?"

Issei groaned and threw his books onto the floor where they would stay until the next morning, the two objects silently weeping from their lack of attention and use. He didn't care about the inanimate object's feelings, though. They couldn't even have emotions in the first place, so the thought of a book crying forced a grin onto Issei's face because it was a stupid and idiotic idea that came from an omnipotent being.

Having nothing productive to do with himself, Issei sighed and decided he'd dedicate himself to his video games. He grabbed his handheld, turned it on with a press of a button, and held it above his face as he fell back onto his bed, the ceiling above him blurred because of the intense focus his eyes were placing on the console.

As Issei saw the first pixels of light on the menu screen of his favourite game, three piercing knocks were heard on his door, followed by the opening of said construct. In stepped his mother, a grin on her face as she pounced into the room, "Issei, a girl called Yuuma Amano is at the door. She said she wanted to talk to you! Is she a friend of yours?"

Life or death. It didn't matter to the omnipotent being. He'd regenerate in minutes if he was killed outside of his own home, so there was no reason for him to be afraid. His hands were trembling, his hair shadowing his eyes. No, he would tell himself. It wasn't fear he was feeling. It was excitement. He was excited. Excited to change the fate of this poor Issei by killing the Fallen Angel, the being that would have inevitably killed this otherwise ordinary human child.

And that human child did not deserve that excruciating pain.

Issei crept over to his window and peered through a gap in the curtains. In the dark night street, in front of his house, was Raynare the Fallen Angel in the form of an innocent schoolgirl. It wasn't anything Issei couldn't handle. He could simply torch the impure being before they could say anything and be done with the whole thing. But Issei didn't want it to end in a single second. He wanted to savour the feeling of victory, the screams of the Fallen Angel as she _burned_ to death.

A smile crept onto Issei's face. It wasn't a joyous smile. It was a psychopathic smile, one that you would expect to see on a serial killer's face as they stalked their next victim. Issei didn't have to stalk his victim, though. They had willingly come to him. And they would pay for what they had done in the many universes Issei had observed.

"I'll be down in a second, mom." Issei said in a sickly sweet voice. Issei's mom left the room with a satisfied nod, leaving the door open behind her. Issei continued to stare out the window for a second before his smile left his face. He gripped the side of his head with a frown, pain erupting through his skull as he forcefully pulled his hair in its socket. "What's wrong with me…? Has this omnipotence made me insane?"

Issei turned away from the window.

* * *

"So, what do you want? I don't know you." Issei and Raynare were in a more private place for their conversation. It was only a nearby park that was designed for children, but Issei found himself sitting on one of the two swings in the park because there was nowhere else to sit. Not even a simple bench.

Raynare stood in front of Issei, her hands in the pockets of her Kuoh Academy blazer. Issei immediately noticed this difference. To blend in and to easily lure Issei outside, Raynare would have obtained a Kuoh Academy uniform to trick him into believing that she was a student he had made contact with. However, Issei knew better than that because he had watched the Fallen Angel deceive the various versions of himself multiple times.

"Well, uhh, this is kinda embarrassing…but…would you go out on a date with me?" Issei jumped to his feet.

"I refuse!" He had shouted, a nearby flock of birds shooting out of the trees they were nesting in. Any man with common sense would deny a girl that had seemingly followed them home. A girl would confess to the boy during school hours or leave a letter in their locker that requests their presence at a certain location, not trail behind them for a rough thirty minutes until they reached their home. Everyone knew that was weird and creepy, even the most deranged beings in the universe.

Raynare pouted and crossed her arms with a huff.

"Why!?" Issei grinned and pointed a finger at the Fallen Angel with his other hand on his hip, an aura of confidence exuding out of him. Firstly, he would try to persuade the Fallen Angel to leave him alone. If that didn't work, he'd fight and possibly kill her. Knowing the Fallen Angel, she'd fight before Issei's persuasion could start and it would lead to the death of one of them. Issei thought it would be Raynare.

"Because you don't go to my school." Raynare spluttered and motioned to her uniform, trying to gather her words.

"B-but I'm wearing the uniform. Students can only get it, right!?" Issei laughed as brashly as he could, his other hand now on his hip as he stared up at the sky.

"That's possible, but you could have stolen it! Also…I know you have a secret that you mustn't share with an ordinary human." Raynare used her two wings to launch herself back, her teeth grit, as a giant dust cloud formed. Issei couldn't see through the thick smock, but he had extraordinary sensory abilities so blocking Raynare's strike was too easy for him.

"Y-you…! What do you know about me?" Issei deflected Raynare's kick with a hand, watching as several limbs darted in and out of his Issei's limited sight. All of them had been perfectly deflected with ease. Meanwhile, Issei remained silent to try and provoke the Fallen Angel, but as Issei narrowly avoided a light spear by tilting his head to the side, he decided he'd need to speak up lest he be killed by his own foolishness.

"I know you're a Fallen Angel and that you want to kill me because of a Sacred Gear I have inside of me." Issei summoned a rapidly spinning ball of wind in his palm and threw it up into the air, watching as a silent explosion instantly dispelled the cloud of dust. Raynare was panting, sweat dripping from her face, shock present on her face due to the wind explosion and the fact that Issei was unfazed by her assault. He wasn't even out of breath in the slightest, not a single hair was out of place, and he certainly wasn't impressed.

"Tch. You're stronger than I expected." Issei pursed his lips as he owlishly blinked.

"You reckon? I mean, I'm just an ordinary human, right?" Raynare growled and pointed a finger at Issei.

"Ordinary human? You're anything but. That doesn't matter, though. Soon, you'll be dead!" Raynare lunged at Issei with a light spear in her hand, her wings propelling her at speeds that were barely visible with the naked eye, her spear aiming for the human's heart. He stepped to the side, grabbed Raynare by the hair and pulled her head back as hard as he can, a grin forming on his face as Raynare screeched from the excruciating pain that erupted all over the back of her head.

"So I'm not an ordinary human, huh? Oh well." Issei lifted Raynare into the air with an arm that had been reinforced with magic, the Fallen Angel kicking and screaming and demanding that she be put down or else. Issei chuckled in response and stared into the impure being's fear-filled violet eyes. "That means I can kill you, right?" Issei rose a hand that had instantly been consumed by a raging blue fire, inching his appendage closer and closer until it was a mere centimetre away from the Fallen Angel's chest.

"N-no, please don't kill me!" Issei manically grinned.

"Mercy? You want mercy? You don't want me to kill you when you tried to kill me?" Raynare tried to nod, but because she was being held up in the air by her hair, she couldn't move her neck. Raynare growled and launched a fist at Issei's face, watching as it connected with his nose. However, Issei laughed in response as it bounced off of him, finding Raynare's tenacity to be idiotically humorous in what could potentially be her final moments. "You're too prideful to properly beg for mercy, aren't you? All you can do is nod your head and move along, right?" Raynare grit her teeth.

"It's…it's not like that! Now let me down!" Issei's hair shadowed his eyes.

"You'll only be let down when you're dead."

* * *

 **Hi hi, me here. Thanks for the support on the first chapter, everyone! I hope I live up to your expectations. Talking about expectations, have I met them yet? I know a lot of you have followed this story because Issei is omnipotent and 'god-like' (which he is), but I want to know if you also enjoy my writing style. It's tough being a good writer, you know! When your story becomes popular, you think people expect great things from you so you start to question the quality of your writing.**

 **Don't forget to leave reviews!**


	3. Chapter 3

"S-so you're going to kill me now, huh?" Raynare grimaced and stared down at Issei. She was powerless, left without hope and certainly dead, and the Fallen Angel knew that. She knew that there was no hope for her; no hope for survival and no hope to atone for her previous sins. This was because a _puny human_ had somehow – _somehow_ – acquired an absurd amount of power that could easily defeat a Fallen Angel of the lowest ranks. Raynare chuckled at the thought because it was unbelievable to her, and probably to her comrades, due to the minimal amounts of effort the human had to use to beat her. It was simply unbelievable.

Raynare started to regret her foolish decisions. She shouldn't have come to this town, to this country; she shouldn't have entered the human world in the first place, even if she was under orders from her superiors. She shouldn't have fallen for Kokabiel's persuasive words and should have continued to faithfully serve under Azazel. If she had done so, she wouldn't have been in this mess because she wouldn't have been ordered to kill Issei Hyoudou, a potentially dangerous human whose power 'hadn't awakened yet'.

He wasn't dangerous, though. That's what she had realised. Issei wasn't a danger to the Grigori or any Fallen Angel just because he's a unique human. Issei wouldn't have hurt anyone if Kokabiel wasn't involved because no one would have hurt him. Raynare grit her teeth. To her, it was Kokabiel's mindless spiel that brought her here and she would forever hate that manipulative bastard because he was the mastermind behind her death.

He was essentially fate itself.

"You think I should kill you now?" Issei smirked with a glint in his eyes. Raynare could tell he was planning something and she knew she wouldn't like it. She knew it would be painful, possibly morbid and generally bad for her, even if she was already in an extremely negative situation.

"I know you won't do it." Raynare said through grit teeth, her eyes become sharp as she tried to sound confident in what seemed to be her final moments. However, Issei chuckled and dropped Raynare to the floor, clapping his hands together a few times. He planted a foot on Raynare's chest between her bust and held up a single hand that had three fingers raised.

"And I won't. You have three choices, though." Raynare was shocked. Her eyes were wide and she made no effort to resist. All she could focus on was calming her mind and heart because she _wasn't going to die_. Not straight away. She could scream and shout and cry and kiss Issei's feet because he was showing her mercy, but she wasn't done with him. She wasn't free yet. Her life wasn't secure. All she needed to do was escape and she would be free. She'd never listen to Kokabiel again, she'd stop acting like an arrogant fool and she'd certainly never harm a human again.

"Three choices?" She muttered, her voice barely a whisper as her bottom lip quivered. Issei nod his head with a manic grin, bending down so his face was a few centimetres from Raynare's. He cupped her chin with a hand, forced the Fallen Angel to stare into his large, psychopathic eyes and chuckled.

"Your wings and magic, your friends in the abandoned church, or your life." Raynare grit her teeth once more and furrowed her brow in anger. She didn't know how Issei knew about her friends or the abandoned church, but she wouldn't be surprised to know that Issei knew all of their names. What made her angry was the choices, though. In Raynare's eyes, Issei was essentially saying that he would permanently maim her, kill her precious friends or comrades, or end her life in an instant.

"You…you psychopathic little shit!" Raynare hissed in pain as Issei dug the heel of his foot into Raynare's ribs, applying more pressure as time went on. Issei sighed and released all of the pressure he was applying, eliciting a gasp from Raynare, before he shoved his hands into his pockets. Issei found no pleasure in what he was doing, but he had to do what he had to do. He wanted the Fallen Angel in front of him to feel the pain that various versions of him had felt, even if it involved permanently destroying a part of her. An infinite amount of deaths makes up for one heartless destruction, after all.

"Do you want me to take your wings, the part that makes you a Fallen Angel, and your magical abilities, your friend's lives in return for your safety, or do you want me to kill you? It's as simple as that." Raynare bit the inside of her cheek as hard as she could and let the coppery taste of her foul blood fill the inside of her mouth. She stared up at Issei with a blank expression and watched as the human crossed his arms, a smirk present on his face. "If you don't answer within ten seconds, I'll decide for you." Issei raised a single finger, indicating the first second, followed by the second finger, and then the third, fourth and fifth before Raynare's face melted into one of exhaustion.

"You decide for me. All of those options…they're absolutely awful…" Raynare closed her eyes and felt the presence of Issei's foot disappear from her chest. The omnipotent human took one step back and sighed, his grin disappearing almost instantly.

"Your wings and magic it is, then. You know, if you had chosen to sacrifice yourself, I would have let you be. If you chose your friends, then I would have killed you. Regardless of all of that, you have let me decide your fate and it will be the most painful. Have fun!" Raynare grimaced and raised her head, staring at Issei.

"Just get it over with." Issei folded his arms with closed eyes.

"I shall grant your wish." Issei made his way to Raynare's side and rolled her over with a single arm so she was laying on her stomach. He planted a foot between Raynare's two outstretched wings and grabbed the left wing by its base. "Are you ready to receive your punishment, Fallen Angel Raynare?"

Raynare grimaced and gathered a hand full of sand from the floor, clenching it as tightly as she could. "Yes." Issei managed to take a long, shaky breath and steeled himself, gently tugging on Raynare's wing before he gathered all of his strength to tear the wing from its roots. Raynare screamed from the explosive pain, her body writhing and trembling as one half of her identity as a Fallen Angel was viciously torn out of her back.

Issei held the wing in one hand, watching it spasm with a knot in his stomach, before it was engulfed by a red flame that consumed it in an instant. Blood burst from the hole where Raynare's wing was as she held back the bile that was preparing to launch out of her throat, grinding her teeth together as she did so. Issei grabbed the second wing and swallowed a ball of saliva that had formed in his mouth, the edges of his lips curling up in satisfaction as he fought back a maniacal laugh.

Issei gently tugged on the wing once, twice and then thrice before the second wing was sent flying from Raynare's back, more crimson blood spilling out of the wound. Raynare vomited on the floor in front of her, her whole body sweating and shaking as she could not cope with the excruciating pain that a mere human had enforced upon her.

She tried to hold back the overwhelming downpour of her tears but found that she couldn't, her heart crying out from the emotional and physical pain she was feeling. Her eyes went wide as she gasped, feeling all bodily sensations leave her, before she stopped all movement, laying still in the middle of a park in a puddle of her own blood and vomit.

Issei staggered back a couple of steps before he fell onto his backside, both hands gripping his head as he manically grinned. He chuckled with an insane murmur and released a laugh of pure evil, feeling the blood on his hands stain his hair and cheeks.

The laugh died down as soon as it had come, though, quiet grunts all that remained. Issei slowly pushed himself to his feet with a frown, a hand still pressed up against his head. "Th-there's something wrong with me…" Issei, with a click of his tongue, glanced over at Raynare's still form. "Shit…she's going to die at this rate…I never meant to do this, right? It was all an accident, right? I…I still need to take her magic…but that's too cruel. Maybe I could just restrict it? I-I need to do something…fast…"

Issei's quiet affirmations were the only things that were keeping him from sinking further into a psychopathic and sadistic state.

"I'm...I'm going insane..."

* * *

Raynare slowly opened her eyes, her mind a hazy mess. She raised a hand to her face, covered her eyes for a few seconds, and dropped her arm back to her side with a groan. She tilted her head to the side, staring out of an open window and into the sunrise before she shot up into a seated position. She pressed a hand to her forehead, suddenly gasping for air as she began to panic. She glanced around the room, noticed that there was no one else in the enclosed space and sighed, her panic dying down almost instantly.

The room was almost featureless; a small desk sat up against a wall with a computer quietly sitting on its top, an almost silent hum coming from the metallic tower that contained all of the parts that a computer would require. A keyboard and mouse sat on the desk while a half swung-out leather chair sat still. On the chair was a pile of neatly folded clothes, bloodied fabrics that Raynare instantly recognised.

She slowly wiggled out of the bed she was laying in, her body extremely stiff and tense, waddled over to her clothes with a frown and stared down at a sheet of paper. She picked it up with a hand and scanned it with her eyes, muttering the text she read, "I'm generous enough to have let you live. Anyway, your shirt and blazer are practically destroyed, but I left them there in case you wanted to wear them. Feel free to do whatever you want, as well, but if you leave the house, I _will_ know. I'll be back at around four. Issei."

Raynare scrunched the paper into a ball, her entire being seething as she tossed the paper onto the bed behind her. She clenched a fist, her hair covering her eyes, before she released a shaky breath that instantly extinguished her anger. She flicked her back so she was staring up at the blank cream roof, clicked her tongue in annoyance and sighed, "I guess I should feel thankful, but also pissed at the same time."

Deep down, Raynare wanted to tear Issei's limbs off and beat him to death with the damn things, but not before she mutilated him in the same way she had been. Without her wings or magic, Raynare was nothing anymore. She wasn't a human, but she wasn't a Fallen Angel, either. There was no classification that could describe what she had become, nothing she could identify as, and it was all thanks to that human.

Raynare had become lost and she had realised that as she tried to flare her wings out. She wanted to make sure it wasn't all a dream, after all, so she tried her hardest, despair quickly filling her as her two appendages wouldn't appear. There was no sensations on her back, no warmth of the skin and there certainly weren't the two wings she was hoping to see and feel.

The cold reality had quickly sunk in.

"I…I'm really…not a Fallen Angel anymore…what's worse is that I'm stuck in this schoolgirl form…" Raynare huffed and tried her hardest to hold back her tears, but as they began to slowly run down her cheeks, the salty liquid warm against the skin, she feel to her knees and sobbed. "I-I'm broken…I'm…I'm nothing now…Azazel will never love me…"

The only reason Raynare had done what she had done, other than following Kokabiel's orders, was to gain the affection of her crush. Azazel the Scapegoat, the leader of the Grigori, the only one that would accept her when no one else would and the only man that brought a smile to her face.

She'd never see him again and if, by chance, they did meet in a sick twist of fate, Azazel would cast the former Fallen Angel out of the Grigori and into the human world. Forever.

That's what Raynare thought, anyway. She didn't know anything about herself in this moment, and she certainly didn't dare to think about anything other than Azazel as she was hoping that he could fix her. He's a genius scientist with a bit of a perverted side, but there had to be some way he could fix her. But Raynare knew he couldn't.

Without their wings, a Fallen Angel, an Angel or a Devil were worth nothing. They were considered to be trash. Raynare knew she wasn't going to receive the help she needed from Azazel. She'd have to look elsewhere, find her own methods of fixing her body, but she didn't know how she'd go about doing that.

She was never going to be the same.

* * *

 **Yo yo yo, it's me again. Hope you liked this chapter. It took…a week? Oh well. I couldn't decide what to do with Raynare. I wanted her to suffer, but I didn't want her to die or just be 'tortured', so this is the result. I hope you're happy with it. It may also be my love of her because, you know, in previous stories, she doesn't die. But I've taken a different path this time! Sorry for the sudden decrease in quality, as well. I wrote this while not in the right state of mind, so it may seem…'different'.**

 **Don't forget to leave a review!**

 **See you next time!**


	4. Chapter 4

The halls were mostly empty. The sky was a clear blue. Issei's feet rapidly pushed off of the floor with as much might as he could, "Damn it. Why are they being so hostile?" With a mighty roar, Issei leapt down a flight of stairs and landed in a crouch, his balance almost faltering. As he finally fell onto his back, he used a hand to push himself into a flip, narrowly dodging a strike from some kind of weapon as his eyes widened. "They're here already!?"

* * *

"Alright, kids. You're dismissed." The teacher, an elderly man who had once served in a war as a foot soldier, quickly left the room with a few books under his arm, a faint smile on his face. Issei sighed, flayed his arms over the edge of his desk and placed his face against the wood, struggling to understand the class he had just been through.

Art wasn't his favourite subject or pastime. He couldn't draw, couldn't sculpt and couldn't paint; he could barely hold a paintbrush without trembling hands, even though he could hold a blade with a steady grip. He wasn't nervous. Nothing could make the omnipotent human nervous anymore, but something about the practical arts, especially the type of sculpting that involved clay, made his hands tremble.

Not to mention the confusing vocabulary the teacher often used.

"Man…this class sucks…" Issei huffed and stared through a nearby window. His eyes tracked the only cloud in the sky, a small puff of white that lazily soared through the air. Time seemed to quickly pass by as the cloud finally left the sight of the human, but as Issei lazily checked the time on his phone, he sighed. "Only five minutes have passed…and lunch break has just started…"

Issei lifted his head off of his desk and glanced around the room. People were grouped up and were happily eating their food around a desk or desks that had been pushed together. They would talk, often laughing with each other or at a single person's silly comment, creating a ruckus in the classroom.

Issei frowned and furrowed his brow. He didn't appreciate the noise his classmates were making. On any other day, he wouldn't mind, but with the events of the previous night rushing through his mind, all he wanted was silence. Issei was half-expecting a visit from a member of Rias Gremory's posse as well, increasing his unknown paranoia, anger and annoyance.

Issei slowly inhaled with closed eyes. He knew he shouldn't' be angry at anyone other than himself. The monstrosities he had committed last night were the things he should be angry at, not a bunch of innocent girls that had nothing to do with him. "Hmph, I'm such a pitiful being."

Issei pushed his seat out from under his desk with his feet and glanced out the window once more, noticing the clear azure. He slowly shook his head and jumped to his feet, shoving both of his hands into the pockets of his blazer as he used his foot to kick his chair back under his desk. He left the classroom and wandered the corridors of Kuoh Academy, occasionally glancing behind him, as he struggled to come to terms with what he had done.

In Issei's mind, the _thing_ that had permanently destroyed Raynare's body wasn't him. It was an amalgamation of centuries of isolation and loneliness that he couldn't control. The sadistic pleasure, the laughs, the smiles; none of it was _Issei Hyoudou_.

Issei couldn't fool himself, though. He knew that he had willingly done what he had done, and as he had begun to brood, he shook his head and had told himself that it was alright. This universe was one out of an infinity. Issei could simply return to his dimension, sit on his gaseous throne and watch the struggles of another Issei. Permanently maiming Raynare wasn't a complex issue anymore.

But if Issei really did return to his dimension, he'd become bored again and step into the black hole once more, potentially possessing another Issei. He'd probably hurt Raynare again as well and he _knew_ that. Issei knew he'd lose control again. He knew he'd turn into that sadistic monster once more. He knew he'd hurt Raynare again.

Issei clicked his tongue, "Why am I even thinking about this so much? I could kill Raynare and get this over with but…I guess need to take responsibility for what I have done. Right. I feel guilty." Ultimately, Issei decided to live with what he had done. He didn't even know if he felt guilty but he did regret what he had done. Issei only told himself he was feeling guilty because he wanted a reason to justify why he wanted to take responsibility.

Issei blinked owlishly.

Did he even need to do anything if he claimed that he wanted to solve what he had done? As far as he knew, there was no way a being could regrow their wings without growing stronger or gaining an absurd amount of power. Even then, the destroyed wings wouldn't regrow; a new pair would form in its place and replace the old pair, most likely where the old pair should be.

The Fallen Angel would have the power of a four-winged Fallen Angel, but only have a single pair of wings. In other words, they'd seem weak to the people that understood how an Angel's ranking of power worked when they would always be a rank higher than what people thought and that was deemed to be a good thing as the difference in power between a single and a double set of wings was absurd.

"Alright! I've figured out what I can to do to fix this issue!" Issei held his hands on his hips as he puffed his chest out in pride, ignoring the reactions of a single bystander. Issei calmed himself with a chuckle, released his pose with a sigh and huffed. "Well, now that I've figure it out, it's no fun…bah, what am I saying? It'll definitely be fun!"

"Hmm? What will be fun, Issei Hyoudou?" Issei spun on the base of his heel and came face to face with a person that he knew was a devil. All along, while wondering the halls of Kuoh Academy, Issei had been unconsciously avoiding Yuuto Kiba and Koneko Toujou, two of the four devils that made up Rias Gremory's peerage. And, with a faint smile and closed eyes, stood the blonde swordsman, Yuuto Kiba, the only Knight in Rias' peerage.

"Yuuto Kiba…leave me alone, blondie. This has nothing to do with you." Issei waved his hand around in dismissal. Yuuto chuckled, took a single step back and bowed to Issei.

"My name is Yuuto Kiba, as you already know. It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance." Issei crinkled his nose in distaste. The overly polite 'princes' were not his type. Kiba was a guy, that much was obvious, but on the off chance that Issei stopped liking women, Kiba would not be his first choice. His attitude was irritable, after all, and it was a sickly sweet combination of negative feelings.

"Two negatives make a positive, huh…" Issei had muttered to himself, watching as Kiba straightened his back. Issei frowned, glanced down the corridor behind him and noticed a small blob of white hair. "Koneko Toujou and Yuuto Kiba…I wonder what you guys want with me? Does your King really feel safe without her only Knight and Rook?" The air turned cold and the atmosphere became heavy.

There was a sword poised towards Issei's throat, the tip barely touching, but Kiba's confidence in his ability to intimidate and subjugate Issei was laughable at most. It was laughable for the omnipotent being, anyway. "Issei Hyoudou, the human…no, rather, I should call you a monster. Rias Gremory, our master and King, has called for you." Kiba's eyes were sharp and full of distrust while his curled lip and snarl actively revealed his dislike for Issei. The omnipotent being clicked his tongue as he resisted the urge to face-palm. Despite his need for entertainment and something to clear his mind, he shouldn't have openly revealed his knowledge of Rias and her Devils. Issei knew that and that was why he was silently reprimanding himself, a one-sided fight between two miniature versions of Issei taking place in his brain.

"There's no point in fighting here so I submit. Although, the next time you point a sword at my throat, you should be mindful of the innocent bystander. Maybe I should keep my mouth shut next time, as well." Issei motioned to the only human in the corridor and watched as they stepped away from an open window, staring down at their phone. Kiba glanced at them from over his shoulder, lowered his sword and let it disappear in an instant, his fists instantly clenched as he scowled. "Show me the way, pretty boy."

Kiba clicked his tongue and turned away from Issei, pacing down the corridor with a hand in a pocket. A female student left a classroom, noticed Kiba and immediately screamed from joy, gathering the attention of her nearby peers. In a matter of seconds, the Knight was surrounded by his female fans, their screams drowning out any and all words he wanted to say. Gone was the unattractive scowl, a wide smile comfortably sitting in its place.

Issei stood dumbfounded, failing to believe in the sudden change of personality.

He also couldn't understand why the female students liked him so much. Was it his looks? His personality? His stupid blonde hair and annoying smile? Issei grumbled insults about Kiba to himself as Koneko approached his side. She tugged on his sleeve and used a finger to point to the end of the corridor that was adjacent to the group that was surrounding Kiba.

"Hey, Koneko, I don't get it. Why do people like Kiba so much?" The small girl shrugged once as Issei pouted. "That lucky prince, stealing all of the potential love interests."

* * *

Issei raised a decorated cup to his lips and tilted it on a slight angle, letting an herbal liquid spill into his mouth. He lowered the cup, placed it down onto the saucer with as much elegance as he could before he turned his head to face Akeno Himejima, his upperclassmen by one year, with a smile on his face. "Thank you for the tea. It's delicious."

Akeno, the busty senior with large violet eyes, long raven hair that was usually tied into a ponytail with ribbons, pale skin and sadistic tendencies, blushed and held a hand to her cheek. "Thank you, Issei." Issei's smiled widened as he muttered a few words under his breath.

"Definitely a Yamato Nadeshiko." Issei glanced at the devil that was sitting on a red couch opposite him and let his smile falter ever so slightly. Rias Gremory, the heir to the Gremory Pillar, his also busty senior and a person who he didn't want to deal with. She had flowing crimson hair, blue-green eyes and skin that was just as pale and milky as Akeno's.

"What was that, Issei? And where's Kiba?" Rias asked, her head tilted to the side. Issei slowly shook his head, insisted that it was nothing and detailed how Kiba was indulging in his carnal desires, emphasising his hidden love for _all_ of his fangirls, before he raised his cup of tea to his lips once more, slowly devouring the contents as he struggled to predict the contents of the incoming conversation. On one hand, Issei wanted to be serious for once, but on the other hand, he wanted to have fun. Having fun would make the meeting more bearable for him, so it was the logical choice. The only question he asked himself involved his starting point. How would he create an entertaining situation in a meeting where a few words could create a fight?

"So, Rias Gremory. Are you really a male that pretends to be a female? Also, do you have a certain fondness for camels?" Rias rose an eyebrow as a blush spread across her cheeks.

"W-what do you mean, Issei Hyoudou?" Issei grinned and crossed one leg over the other, intending to embarrass Rias as much as he could while using his superficial knowledge of Devils.

"Well, it means what it means. Have you heard of the Ars Goetia, Cherry Trap?" Rias recoiled from the sudden nickname she had acquired, her cheeks flushing more than they physically should as Akeno quietly chuckled in the background.

"You mean the forbidden spell book?" Issei furrowed his brow. As far as he knew, the Ars Goetia wasn't forbidden in any country or state. It was accessible if one used the internet and that was how Issei had acquired all of the information on the seventy-two demons of hell, even if it was supposed to be fiction.

"Forbidden? What are you talking about?" Rias sighed dejectedly.

"All of the copies that exist in the human world have been destroyed. It's sensitive information! Now, how the hell do you know what the Ars Goetia is!?" Issei pursed his lips before he huffed from an indistinguishable annoyance, tapping a foot against the carpeted floor as he stared directly into Rias' eyes.

The Ars Goetia. An anonymous spell book that is a part of a series of five books. It is the first part of the grimoire that was known as The Lesser Key of Solomon and it details the seventy-two demons of the Underworld and their individual powers and qualities. Gremory, who was one of the aforementioned demons, is said to be able to tell all things past, present and in the future, about hidden treasures and is able to procure the love of women, young and old, but especially maidens. Depicted as appearing in the form of a beautiful woman with the crown of a duchess tied around his waist, he rides a camel.

"Is the information in it true?" There was a short silence between the pair as the atmosphere slowly became heavier as a battle of wills silently took place. Was Rias going to tell that human why the Ars Goetia is forbidden in the human world or will she capture him and take him to her brother for knowing such information? The only way he could have acquired the information was, in Rias' eyes, if he went straight to the Underworld and that was a serious breach in security.

Rias sighed as all of the tension in her body was released at once. "Yes…the information is mostly true. I assume you know the history of the Three Factions?" A short nod from Issei was all Rias needed to continue. "The original demons, once they had died, had left fragments of their souls in the Underworld. Long story short, a few 'lucky' descendants take on the qualities of their ancestors. The reason why it's forbidden here is because it's pretty much true." Issei couldn't stop the smirk that spread across his face.

"And you, Rias Gremory, have taken on the qualities of Gremory. That's why the student body and teachers absolutely adore you, right? You filthy trap." Issei and Akeno chuckled in unison as Rias' face turned as red as the ripest tomato, her eyes wide and her mouth firmly clamped shut.

After a second or two of shock, Rias regained her senses and growled, preparing to lunge at the human that sat directly in front of her, intending to tear his throat out with her bare hands. "You…! Don't make fun of me like that! The trap part isn't true! Demon magic fixed everything! And I don't like camels, dammit! They're ugly!" Akeno pat Rias on the back.

"There, there, Rias. It's ok. We all know it's true." Rias quietly screamed through grit teeth as Issei resisted the urge to say more. Through a couple sentences, he was driving the redhead insane.

"Shut up! Dammit, shut up!" Issei briefly stopped laughing, sat up as straight as he could, his face stoic as he professionally held back all of his laughter.

"No, Cherry Trap." Rias pouted.

"Fine. I give up. Call me whatever you want to! I don't care!" Issei rose an eyebrow.

"Well, you clearly do…Cherry Trap." Rias was now banging her head against the wall, both the wall and her skull quietly breaking as Rias' blood splattered everywhere.

"Oh my. I thought you said you didn't care, Rias." Akeno muttered as she cupped her cheek with a hand, her cheeks also red. However, as Akeno squirmed on the spot with her thighs rubbing against each other, Rias, whose hair was shadowing her entire face despite the sunlight that should have normally dispelled all shadows, robotically turned her head to face her Queen. Two circles of red flickered into existence where her eyes should have been.

All of the colour in the room instantly drained.

"You wanna die?"

As Akeno and Rias disappeared and reappeared in a flurry of punches and kicks and magic attacks, Issei quietly sipped on his cup of tea with a small smile. "Isn't this fun, Koneko?" He asked the small girl who, without making any sounds, had found her place on the couch next to him. She stopped nibbling on a block of chocolate, glanced up at Issei with stoic eyes and nod once, quickly returning to what she had been doing.

"I agree. There's no better way to derail a conversation. At least I don't have to explain what I did last night, even if I did use cheap tactics. Anyway, where's Kiba? Is he busy finding the parts to Excalibur?"

* * *

"Hey, Rias! Come here!"

"Huh, why?"

Issei slipped his arm into a complex array of magical circles and used all of his strength to yank a sandy camel out of the circles as if it was an everyday occurrence.

"Because you like camels, right?" Issei grinned as Rias paled.

"No, I don't! Now get that thing away from me!" Rias turned to run, tripped over a carefully placed wire that was almost invisible, fell onto her face, screamed as the camel jumped on her and proceeded to pass out from the shock, a miniature version of her soul slowly seeping out of her mouth.

In the background, Issei sighed.

"And here I thought she'd love camels because of her status as a Gremory, even if she denies it."

* * *

 **Heya, late chapter! Don't mind me. I just procrastinate too much. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this chapter. I decided to go for the comedy escape route at the end here (even though I'm bad at writing comedy) so I didn't have to laboriously explain all of the crap that everyone knows. But that bit at the start is foreshadowing at something that happens in the next chapter! Anyway, no one knows about the Ars Goetia, so I had to explain that. Oh, thanks to Hellsender for telling me about it, though.**

 **If you didn't know, which I don't think you do, I've started to beta a story! It's called 'Re:Zero, Why Me?' and is written by 'Writer With Bad Grammar', so if you have the time, please check it out! I've only done the prologue, but I work hard on it! It's almost as if it's a part of me!**

 **See you next time!**


	5. Chapter 5

Kiba burst through the doorway as Rias and Akeno finally found their inner peace, both girls panting as they glared at one another. They weren't in the best condition; there were tears in their clothing, they had scratches in their skin and their hair was dishevelled. "Am I interrupting something?" Kiba asked with a small smile, ignoring the blob of white hair and the suspicious human that were lounging on one of the two sofas as if nothing had happened.

"Ah…Kiba…we were…waiting for…you…" Rias managed to say between her rapid and heavy breathing. Rias straightened her back, used her hands to pat her clothes and hair back into place and wandered over to the empty sofa, promptly falling onto her backside with a sigh.

"So, should we resume what we were doing, Gremory?" Issei interjected, placing his cup of tea that, despite the fact that Issei continued to consume the tea inside of it, kept on refilling itself on a saucer that sat on the coffee table in front of him.

"We should, Issei. Now, as I was going to say, I have asked you to come here because of what you did last night. Namely, the fight that you had with Fallen Angel Raynare." Issei, with a leg crossed over one another, sighed and folded his arms across his chest. Despite his efforts to derail the conversation with a little bit of bullying and fun, it would have happened sooner or later. Issei knew it was naïve to think that he could have avoided the entire situation, but it didn't stop him from trying.

"The fight? Oh, you mean the part where I tore her wings off and carried her back home because I went insane and then felt guilty because of what I had done? That fight?" No one said anything. Rias didn't move a muscle, Akeno sighed, Kiba frowned and Koneko continued to nibble on her chocolate.

Rias made the first effort to say anything; something that would dispel the silence and the awkward atmosphere, "Y-yes, that one."

"Well, there's nothing to say about it, other than my desire to look after Raynare as she adjusts to her new life as a pseudo-human. Now, was this all you needed me for?" Issei prepared to jump to his feet but was stopped by an outstretched hand that Rias had suddenly offered.

"That's not all. I wanted to offer you a choice, a choice that may change your life. Whether you accept it is up to you-!" Issei jumped to his feet this time and shoved his hands into his pockets, staring down at Rias' hand.

"No thanks. Becoming a Devil is too tacky for me. Maybe next time, though, which will be never." Issei approached the nearby door, stopped as he held a hand on the handle and craned his neck. "Also, when am I going to meet your brother? I'm sure he's going to be interested in me, especially after this conversation."

"You know about my brother?" Issei groaned and face-palmed.

"Right, next time I should keep quiet. Otherwise, I'll say something I regret." Rias rose an eyebrow and withheld her questions, intending on releasing the otherwise ordinary human boy. Issei turned the handle on the door, slowly opened it and stepped out of the room, glancing out of a nearby window.

The sky was a clear azure.

* * *

His hand tightly gripped the handle as he slowly pushed it down. He prepared himself, intending on bursting through the door while acting as normal as he could, but he stepped back with a sigh, running a hand through his hair.

Issei didn't think it would be difficult to check on Raynare.

On one hand, he thought she had ran away, had _hoped_ that she had ran, because he didn't want to _deal_ with the results of his _foolish actions_ , even if he had, hours prior to this moment in time, told himself that he wanted to take responsibility. On the other, he still wanted to look after her, even if she denied his offer.

Issei raised a hand and rapped his knuckles against the door three times, eagerly waiting for a response. He shifted the position of his bag that hung under his right shoulder, dropped his hand back to his side and silently sighed. "Is she even here?" Issei whispered with bated breath.

He didn't know if Raynare was still in the house. Travelling through his house and up to his room was uneventful because the living room was empty, as well as the kitchen and the yard. They were the only places the Fallen Angel could have been on the bottom floor and the lack of presence worried Issei. For all he knew, Raynare could have run away while he was at school. Not that it would matter, though. If Raynare really did run away, he would continue his life as if she had never existed in the first place.

He was bluffing when he said that he'd know if she left the house, though, and that was the only precaution Issei took to keep her in his home. Raynare didn't need to stay at his place. If she wanted to, she could have run to the abandoned church where her friends were located and seek guidance from them, but in Raynare's mind, her friends would shun her – maybe kill her – for having no wings.

There was nowhere for the Fallen Angel to go, no one the Fallen Angel could go to and no one that would help her. And Issei knew this. He had figured it out during his classes. It had taken him a few hours, but he had figured it out with the knowledge he possessed from the many timelines he had watched.

Because, no matter what was different about Issei or Rias Gremory, the Fallen Angel Raynare and her friends would always stay the same in every single timeline.

Issei gripped the door handle again, "I'm coming in, Raynare." Issei swung the door open and observed his room. It mostly remained untouched. Nothing about it was different, except for the multitude of blankets that were curled up on his bed. The curtains hadn't even moved a millimetre from their last known position, the desk was still clean and tidy, the note that Issei had written was still sitting on Raynare's pile of clothes and the wardrobe door was shut tight.

Nothing had changed.

Issei dropped his bag on the floor and sat on the edge of his bed, occasionally glancing at the bundle of fabric. "Hey…" He said, gripping the frame of his bed as tightly as he could, his knuckles turning white. "Are you awake?" There was no response from the bundle of blankets. Issei shakily sighed and unconsciously ran a hand through his thin locks of brown hair.

"I regret what I did, you know." He muttered, his head hanging low. There still wasn't a response. "I wasn't in the right state of mind; I had seen many things similar to what you were trying to do and I…snapped, I guess." Issei didn't know why he had said that.

Knowing about several timelines, feeling the pain of death, watching as he suffered…Issei had finally understood why he had gone insane.

Knowing that he could save himself – save the body of the Issei that he was occupying – forced his darkest emotions to surface after centuries of suppression. He had never gone insane, never maimed a being beyond repair and had never found himself feeling…guilty for what he had done.

"If you regret what you have done, then would have killed me already. Why won't you end my suffering?" Raynare's voice was barely audible through the dense wall of fabrics that she was hiding under, her naked body curled into the foetal position.

"Because I…" Raynare poked her head out and glared at the omnipotent human, her teeth bared as she scowled. Issei struggled to find the right words. Was his guilt the only thing was preventing him from murdering the Fallen Angel in cold blood? Or was it his _humanity_ that was preventing him from doing so? "I'm sorry, Raynare. I truly am."

"Sorry!? The only thing you can do is apologise?" Raynare crawled out from under the mound of blankets and stopped short of Issei's side. "Why won't you just _kill me_?" Issei shuddered as Raynare's whispers echoed through his mind. Should he kill her? _It would be the right thing to do_ , he thought. _She didn't want to live anymore, so it's ok if I spill her blood._

Unwanted memories surfaced in Issei's mind.

His original timeline, his own life. Memories from what had occurred in the original universe had suddenly found themselves in the brain of an omnipotent and almost omniscient being. Issei struggled to dispel them. He struggled to get _rid_ of them. He didn't want them. They reminded him of his monstrous actions that he had tried to forget.

The imaginary sound of dripping blood forced Issei's eyes to widen.

 _No_ , he thought _, I can't kill Raynare. I can't repeat history. I was meant to change the future, right? If I kill her, history will follow the same path that it had once followed. I can't allow it. I can't let fate manipulate me again._

 _This time, I'll be the one who decides what happens._

"You don't understand, Raynare." Issei finally muttered.

A hand collided with his cheek, forcing his head to snap to the side.

"I don't understand? I _don't understand_? _You_ are the one who does not understand." Issei held a hand to his cheek, his hair shadowing his eyes. He grit his teeth in an effort to hold back a sob, tears welling up in the corners of his eyes.

 _All I need to do is kill her. End her life. Everything will be over if I do that. History will run its course and I'll have to repeat all of the things that I have once done before._

 _Is this the consequence of disturbing a timeline?_

"I…I'm sorry." A tear fell from Issei's eye and onto his knee. Raynare's face softened at the sight, her expression slowly relaxing until she looked as if she was exhausted. She sighed, fell onto her bottom and crossed her legs, her hands firmly planted in her lap.

"I…shouldn't have gotten angry at you." She muttered. Issei glanced at her through his blurred vision and faintly smiled.

"You have every right to." Raynare sighed and ran a hand down her face.

"No, I shouldn't have. I was lucky enough to have not been killed and I should be grateful for that."

"Maybe it would have been better if I didn't do anything at all? Maybe I should have let you fool me." Raynare reached a hand out and gripped Issei's shoulder, forcing him to turn and face her. She smiled at the human.

"Thank you." Issei rose an eyebrow.

"For what?"

"For not killing me." Issei's rubbed his eyes and sighed.

"You're…welcome, I guess?" Raynare grinned.

"No problem!" Issei raised his eyebrow again.

"That's a weird expression to say after thanking someone." Raynare pouted and puffed her cheeks out.

"It is not." Issei sighed dejectedly.

"I should be the one who says that, not you."

"You're not any fun." Issei opened his mouth to retort Raynare's statement but quickly closed it. Something was approaching their location at an absurd speed. No…it wasn't a something but was a group of somethings.

"Shit. Raynare, put some clothes on. Something's approaching at an insane speed." Raynare's cheeks flushed as she was reminded of her indecent state and, as she scrambled to grab her pile of clothes on Issei's desk chair, she fell off of Issei' bed and onto her face, a groan of pain coming from her mouth.

Issei face-palmed, pulled her to her feet, ran over to his wardrobe and flung it open, throwing a loose white shirt at her as she rubbed her nose in pain. She grabbed it, gracefully slid her arms through the sleeves and started to button it up. As she finished the top button, something exploded through Issei's window and the thick curtain, skidding across the floor as they landed on their feet.

It was a man.

It wasn't any ordinary man. In fact, it would be an insult to call it ordinary or a man as he was a Fallen Angel. He was one of the strongest in the Grigori, to be precise, so his appearance shocked Issei. His arrival in this town wasn't scheduled for another month at least, so whatever he was doing in this town was without Rias Gremory's permission.

"Kokabiel…the Angel of the Stars. Rather, the Fallen Angel of the Stars. How may I help you?" The tall man glanced at his subordinate before he sharpened his already sharp and intimidating crimson glowing eyes.

"I'll be taking my subordinate back, human. If you try to stop me, I'll kill you."

* * *

 **Hey. This is a semi-late chapter. I get that. Procrastination is my worst enemy, so blame them, not me. I swear it's not my fault! Anyway, now that that's out of the way, let me tell all of you something about this chapter. This version that you just read was the third out of three versions. That's right. There were two versions before this one. I have them archived if you want to read what's different, but you'll have to PM me first. Also, does this chapter seem to be fast paced/rushed?**

 **Regarding Issei's out of place flashback, that has meaning for the main plot of this story. And also his decision to spare Raynare.**

 **I really need criticism! Preferably constructive criticism! I realised I'm not getting any better at writing, so I need all of you readers to help me! If you find that something doesn't make sense or you have any tips to make my writing better, please don't hesitate to tell me in a review or a PM!**

 **See all of you next time!**


	6. Chapter 6

"You…!" Raynare growled, seeing the object of her hatred. Kokabiel cast his uninterested gaze on her for a second before it returned to Issei, the corners of his lips curling up as the human made no effort to move.

"So, you said you'd kill me, right?" Issei finally said, one hand on a hip as he observed his nails in a mocking manner. Kokabiel's half smile disappeared in an instant as it was replaced with a deep frown that Issei paid no attention to. Kokabiel raised a single hand in the air, summoned a spear of light and tossed at the human in front of him, said spear shattering mid-flight as Issei sighed. "So we're doing this the hard way, then. No matter. Because you're in the process of betraying Azazel, it shouldn't matter if I kill you." Kokabiel's eyes widened as Issei took a single step forward.

"How do you know that?" Issei grinned as he lunged forward and pulled his fist back.

"I know a lot of things." Issei responded, ignoring Kokabiel's question in its entirety. Issei released his fist, watched as Kokabiel disappeared in a flurry of wind and pouted, retracting his fist from an imaginary stomach with a small groan of disappointment.

"So do I." Issei twisted his body to the side and whistled as Kokabiel's fist, an appendage that was almost invisible to the naked eye, flew past his face. Issei spun around with his arm outstretched, not expecting his backhand punch to connect with Kokabiel's face. As bone connected with flesh, though, Issei rose an eyebrow. All of a sudden Issei's world was tipped upside down as he flew through the air in an arc before an elbow connected with his stomach, sending him flying into the floor at breakneck speeds.

Issei coughed up blood as he hit the floor, bouncing once, before another elbow collided with his stomach, sending him through the floor beneath him and into the middle of his living room. Issei rolled to his side, dodging a pointed hand that was aimed at his throat, before he scrambled to his feet, blood dripping from the corners of his mouth. Issei pulled his fists close to his face in a boxing stance. "You're pretty good, Kokabiel." Issei called out to the Fallen Angel, the Angel of the Stars glancing at the human as he clicked his tongue.

"And so are you, human. Although, you are not good enough. Surrender and I will spare you. If you wish to continue, I will murder you as my subordinates take Raynare away from this place." Issei used his sleeve to wipe the blood off of his face, a dark grin soon consuming his features.

"Bring it on. I'll kill you before your friends get here." Kokabiel rose an eyebrow.

"Oh? A challenge?" Issei took a single deep breath before he dug his heels into the hard ground, his face hardening moments later.

"Let's go." In an instant, Kokabiel disappeared once more and reappeared behind Issei, both of his hands clasped together above Issei's head. Kokabiel, with as much force as he could muster, lowered his two hands, expecting his attack to crush the skull of the puny human that stood in front of him, unmoving, but when his attack met nothing but air, it was Kokabiel's turn to receive an attack to the head.

Issei's fists smashed against Kokabiel's head as the Fallen Angel tried to lunge forward to dodge the attack, but because his body was too slow he was forced to tank the hit. As soon as Issei's attack hit, Kokabiel spun around and launched a fist at Issei's face, the human leaning back to dodge the strike as soon as he saw it. Issei sent a straight jab at Kokabiel's face in return, the Fallen Angel jumping back twice to create some distance between the two, crushing a coffee table in the process.

Issei greedily panted for air, "Man, even if I do have the ability to make this body super strong and fast, I can't force it to have good cardio." He muttered to himself, watching Kokabiel as closely as he could.

"Hmm, is something wrong, human?" Kokabiel asked, observing the human's body. While Kokabiel was able to discern that he had an unbelievably large amount of mana, his body was weak. The only reason the human was able to hurt him was because of the magic that constantly reinforced his body, making it faster and stronger than Kokabiel's.

"Nothing…yet." Issei said grimly. He wasn't looking forward to his future after his fight. With his extremely bad cardio, he was most likely going to die.

Issei ducked under a punch as Kokabiel appeared in front of him, Issei's hand forming into a fist as he jumped up. Kokabiel tilted his head back and dodged the attack, a grin spreading across his face. "It was nice playing with you, boy." Kokabiel muttered.

The wall crumbled under Issei's back as he was sent flying through it, plaster exploding everywhere as the air in his lungs escaped his body. Issei smashed through a fence, collided with the outside wall of his neighbour's house and bounced off of it, slowly soaring through the air and towards the dirt ground.

All of a sudden, Kokabiel was floating above Issei, a spear of light in his hand as he pulled his arm back. "This is the end!"

There was a small explosion of dust as Kokabiel's attack connected with _something_. Because the two of them were fighting faster than the eye could see, the Fallen Angel couldn't see if he had hit the human. But it was a guaranteed hit. With no way to dodge or move, Issei was certainly dead.

Kokabiel stood in the midst of the dust cloud, his hands folded against his chest as he huffed, "That human should have surrendered when he had the chance." The dust cloud slowly settled.

Hunched over, panting as blood streamed down his face from a wound on his head, Issei stood in the middle of a small crater. He gave a shaky thumbs up, fell onto one knee and quickly used a hand to support himself. "You almost had me, Kokabiel. It's a good thing I have a few tricks up my sleeve!" Kokabiel quietly growled.

"What's this? You should have died." Issei grinned and chuckled, slowly finding the strength to stand on his two feet.

"Apparently not." Kokabiel rushed over to Issei and produced two light spears, one in each hand, and raised them into the air.

"But you will die now, human!" Issei glanced up at the light spears and sighed as they descended upon his head, both weapons shattering upon impact as if they were nothing but a window pane.

"Try again, Kokabiel." Another spear exploded, followed by another and then a third. Kokabiel growled and grabbed Issei by the head, lifting him up into the air.

"Just die already." Issei would have shaken his head if he had the freedom to do so.

"Sorry but I can't die. Not yet, at least. I have a world to destroy and a future to change!" Kokabiel sharpened his eyes.

"Destroy the world?" Issei chuckled and cast his gaze upon Kokabiel as if he was nothing but a small joke.

"Yeah, totally. Like I'm strong enough to destroy the world." Kokabiel threw Issei at the ground and watched as he casually bounced off of it as if he was a ball. Issei turned his body in the air, landed on his feet with a small grin and bowed. "If you're stupid enough to believe that, then I think you should leave, Kokabiel. Unless you want to discuss astrology, that is."

"Hah, you're nothing but a fool. By now, Raynare is no longer in your home. My subordinates have already taken her away from here!" Issei sighed.

"Do I have to raid the Grigori now?" Kokabiel turned away from Issei.

"If you care for Raynare, I suggest you do." Issei watched as Kokabiel disappeared in a flash, dust being kicked up from a strong gale that he had left behind. The human stared at the setting sun as he sighed. "Next time I won't graciously spare you." A voice reached Issei's ears as he observed his healing wounds.

"Man, to think I got all sentimental and emotional a couple of minutes ago…and it was all a waste…it didn't even make sense! Whoever's making me do this stuff is pretty bad at their job…" Issei's words trailed off as he stared at the gaping hole in his wall, his mouth wide open as he struggled to form any words.

"My parents will surely kill me.

* * *

"Cherry Trap, I require your assistance!" Rias' eyebrow twitched as she dropped her cup of tea, the porcelain smashing on the hard floor. Rias did not want to see Issei at all. After their earlier conversation and the embarrassment that she had suffered, it was normal for an elegant being such as herself to feel irritated at the sight of such a horrendous human that could make anyone do unspeakable things. Rias still forced herself to smile with eyes that were clamped shut. If she didn't have her eyes hidden, she would surely glare at the object of her annoyance so much so that they would suddenly catch fire and transform into a pile of ash.

"Y-yes, Issei?" Issei jumped onto the couch opposite Rias with a deep frown.

"I may have unintentionally made a hole in the wall…and the roof…at my home" Rias deadpanned. Was the human in front of her serious? Did he really make a hole in the roof and wall of his house of his home? He was surely joking but if his frown was anything to go by, Rias was able to see that Issei was telling the truth. It didn't matter, though. The Devil had no intention of helping him.

"I can't help you, Issei." Issei pouted. His hopes and dreams were instantly shattered. The one person that could help had denied his request and it was all because of a little bullying that had occurred earlier in the day. Issei inwardly winced.

"I guess every action _does_ have a consequence." He muttered to himself. Rias nod in agreement as she folded her arms under her bust with one leg crossed over the other.

"I would have to agree with you there, Issei." Despite the fact that Issei had been denied, it didn't mean he wouldn't beg and grovel until he got what he wanted. He didn't have any pride or sense of shame that was stopping him from getting on his hands and knees with his head hanging low, even if there was porcelain all over the floor that would cut his skin. He thought that pride was for the arrogant and that was shame was for the idiotic, so as he took a deep breath and prepared himself to shout for what he wanted like a true Japanese man, he realised that nothing was going to stop him. His mind and spirit were invincible.

"RIAS GREMORY! I BEG OF YOU TO HELP ME FIX THE HOLE IN MY ROOF AND WALL!" Rias would later say that she saw the window panes shake in place as Issei _screamed_. The Devil hurriedly covered her ears with her hands. "I WILL DO ANYTHING IN RETURN FOR THIS FAVOR!" Even though Rias was covering her ears with her hands, the screams were loud enough to penetrate the physical mass that was blocking the sound waves that would surely deafen the Devil. Her hands offered very little protection at this point, so Rias dropped them down to her side with a groan of annoyance.

"Did you mean it when you said you'd do _anything_ if I helped you?" Issei looked up at Rias from his position on the floor and nod his head so fast it could have snapped his neck. Rias hummed in thought and raised a hand to her chin, contemplating on what she would have Issei do. Should she tell him to stop calling her by that humiliating nickname? Maybe he would become a Devil in Rias' peerage. He would be a great asset, after all, as he was stronger than her Knight and Rook combined. In fact, Rias thought that Issei would be able to defeat her Knight, Rook and Queen with all three fighting as one.

"Yes!" Rias grinned as she looked down at Issei. In return for humiliating her earlier on in the day, she would force him to suffer a fate worse than what she had suffered! Rias slipped one of her shoes off of her feet and pulled her sock off, wiggling her toes in the air as a devilish grin spread across her face.

"If you lick my foot, I _might_ help you."

"Sorry, no can do!" Issei called out as he opened the door to the clubroom. Rias held a hand out as she scrambled to her feet, rushing over to the human. The Devil fell to her knees, grabbed the human's trousers with an iron grip and let fake tears stream down her face.

"I-I'm sorry! I won't make you lick my feet! I realised that it's a perverted thing to say and do, so I'm sorry! Please don't bully me anymore!"

"Sorry, no can do." Issei said as he stuck his leg out to the side, shaking it around in the air as he tried to get Rias to let go of him. He sighed, realising that she wouldn't let go and awkwardly limped over to the couch, the Devil sliding along the floor as she kicked her legs around as if she was having a tantrum. "Get up." Issei said as he looked down at the Devil who was in a pitiful state.

"Nooo! I don't want to!" Issei crouched and grabbed the wrist of the Devil, tightening his grip. Shortly after, with a whimper of pain and more tears, Rias forced herself to let go of Issei, holding each wrist in the air.

"Oi, Cherry Trap, are you still a baby?" Rias discontinued her tantrum and pushed herself to her feet. She coughed into a hand, sat on the couch that was behind her and folded her arms, acting as if nothing had happened. That was what she wanted, anyway. Rias didn't want _anyone_ to know what had just transpired. It was embarrassing and would ruin her reputation, but if she knew the human as well as she thought she did, he'd most certainly spread rumours of her disgraceful behaviour if she did not help him. By unintentionally having a tantrum, Rias had given Issei some material to use as blackmail.

"S-sorry about that. I lost my composure for a second." Issei shot Rias a look of disapproval as Rias had turned into a child for several minutes, not a single second. Even though Issei was taking Rias' words to heart and did not think of them as nothing more than an excuse and a simple saying for the time frame in which all hell had broken loose, Issei couldn't help but feel disappointed. Was this all the fun he would find in this conversation?

"That was more than a second, you know." Issei responded with a shallow exhale as he stared at the Devil's red cheeks.

"Right. Anyway, I'm still not going to help you, Issei. This was your own fault." Rias' words left Issei with no choice. Because he was intending on hiding the fact that there were Fallen Angels in Rias' territory, namely Kokabiel and his friends, he had to hide the truth. But, now that he was left no choice, he had to tell Rias about everything that had happened because he wanted his wall and roof to be fixed.

"You leave me with no choice, Rias." Rias rose an eyebrow, not understanding what Issei was trying to say.

"What do you mean?"

"What do you know about Kokabiel, the Angel of the Stars?" Issei stared into Rias' anxious blue-green orbs and waited for her response. The Devil, however, had many thoughts rushing through her mind at speeds that were incomprehensible. Was the second most powerful Fallen Angel in her territory? If he was, what was he doing there? Was he planning on kidnapping her or killing her? Did he want to start another war? "Rias? Are you okay?" Issei said after a minute of silence, knowing why the girl in front of him was not responding.

If someone had come to the conclusion that an extremely powerful being was currently living on their land, anyone would be shocked. "He's here, isn't he?" Issei nod once with a grim smile. The truth that he was trying to withhold had finally been revealed and there was nothing he could do about it. Rather, there was nothing he could do to withhold it. It was an important piece of information that Rias needed to know because of the danger of the entity that was involved.

"Unfortunately, he is. That's why I have a hole in my roof and wall. He wanted to take Raynare away, even though she hates him now, and I refused. So we fought." Rias recoiled from the shock. In her mind, there was no way Issei, a human who, using her knowledge about him, had barely managed to defeat a Fallen Angel of the lowest rank, would be able to fight toe-to-toe with Kokabiel, an entity that is just as powerful as her brother.

"You managed to ward him off?" Issei snorted in response to Rias' words. He didn't make Kokabiel run away. Kokabiel missed his finishing attack because of a little hat trick that Issei used, one that involved wind magic, the ground and plenty of skill. Suddenly creating a burst of wind to pivot your body was harder than it sounded and Issei's flawless execution of the trick was a testimony to his real skill.

"Not really. He ran away because I dodged his finishing skill. That, and he was stalling for time." Rias ran a hand through her hair. She was anxious and stressed. No, she was more than anxious and stressed. She feared for her life and she didn't know what she would do about it. Should she call for her brother's aid? No, it would take too long for reinforcements to arrive. Anything could happen between now and then, so would it be best if Rias and her peerage, as well as Issei, raided the place that Kokabiel was staying at?

"Issei, what do we do?" Rias muttered, hoping that the immensely strong human that sat in front of her could help her. She needed guidance. She can't ask her brother because he would freak out and possibly start a war. She couldn't get help from her parents because of the same reasons. Sona Sitri, her friend and fellow Devil, wouldn't help because most members in her peerage were inexperienced or weren't powerful enough. There was no one that could help her. On the one hand, she didn't want to start a war, but on the other, she wanted help from a powerful being.

Issei spoke," I say we engage in a skirmish. It's our best option right now." Rias nod once, approving Issei's words because she wholeheartedly agreed with the human. But two questions popped into Rias' mind. When would they strike and where would they fight? They didn't know where Kokabiel was staying; he could be in the Underworld for all they knew, but that wasn't necessarily a bad thing. If Kokabiel was in the Underworld, everything was fine for Rias. The potential crisis had been averted. But, if he was in the human world, where was he?

"But we don't know where he is." Rias responded. Issei held a hand to his chin and hummed in thought. If they wanted to find Kokabiel, they could rely on Koneko and her senjutsu, even if the nekomata didn't want to actively use it because of her past. It wouldn't be a good idea to suggest it, anyway, as Issei is supposed to have no knowledge of that power. Not yet, anyway.

"We…does anyone in the peerage have a sensing or tracking ability?" Rias frowned. The only person was Koneko, but without using her senjutsu her sensing ability was rather weak.

"We have Koneko but…she won't use her power." Issei pursed his lips. There was nothing they could do, then. If Koneko wouldn't use her power, they wouldn't be able to find Kokabiel because it would take too long to scour the whole city and its surroundings. There was one place he could be, though, but Issei highly doubted that Kokabiel would be there.

"The abandoned church on the hill…he might be there because of a group of his subordinates that were hiding under the building."

"When do we strike?" Rias asked, hoping that Kokabiel wasn't there. As much as she hated to admit it, she didn't want to die so soon, even if she had to fulfil her duty as the lord of her territory.

"Tonight. Gather your forces. I'll be a scout." Rias nod once as both the human and herself slowly made their way into a standing position. "I must go, then. If I don't find Kokabiel or any Fallen Angel there, I'll give you a call. Oh, can I have your phone number if that's the case?" Issei dug into a pocket and pulled his cell phone. Despite the high speeds and strength that was displayed during his fight with Kokabiel, his phone was surprisingly fine.

"Ah, right!" Rias procured her phone from a pocket in her skirt.

"Before I go, I have one request." Rias tilted her head to the side as Issei copied her contact information onto his phone, appropriately naming Rias' contact file as Cherry Trap.

"What is it?" Issei grinned.

"Fix the holes in my house."

* * *

 **No bonus reel today. Maybe next chapter? I couldn't think of anything I could use for a bonus reel. Nothing that would be funny, at least. Anyway, how do you like these speedy chapters? I had a sudden burst of motivation and inspiration to write this, so don't expect these to come out every day.**

 **I tried something new for the second half of the chapter. Does everyone like it? Can I please get some feedback on it because I want to know if it actively makes my writing and the story better?**

 **See you next time!**


	7. Chapter 7

The forest that surrounded the old, desolate building was silent. There was nary a sound nor a living being in sight, other than a group of five that skulked behind a dense thicket of greenery. The trees would not move and the grass would not wave in the wind. "Not the best night for a stealth operation." Issei Hyoudou, one of members of the group of five, had muttered.

"So what do we do?" Rias Gremory asked in response, her arms folded against her chest. Issei shot her an annoyed look and sighed. With their earlier conversation still fresh in their mind, Issei had expected the Devil to remember what they were supposed to be doing. It's not as if they were planning to sneak into the abandoned church and assassinate Kokabiel; Issei had explicitly mentioned that he and the Gremory peerage would launch an assault or skirmish of some kind instead.

"Gremory, we're going to assault the church. You know, that thing where you guys blow everything up?" Rias sighed and massaged the bridge of her nose. She wasn't prepared for what they were going to do. Attacking a Fallen Angel base that may temporarily house one of their strongest warriors was suicide, especially if you didn't have the power to defeat them. But Gremory knew she didn't have to worry about Kokabiel. Something was telling her that Issei could defeat the Angel of the Stars, even if the human did look weak.

"Yeah, yeah, we get it. We defeat the small fry, you take on Kokabiel, and everyone wins. Correct?" Issei chuckled. It was questionable if _everyone_ would win, but the odds did seem to be in their favour.

"Somewhat. Anyway, I'm going to go now. Don't come in until I say you can." Issei watched as Rias sighed before he burst through the thick clump of bushes that hid them from an outsider's view, his hands placed in his pockets. As he approached the large double doors that were made of a hard wood, he contemplated how he would enter the building. Did he want to kick the door open and vaporize anyone that may be in there with fire magic? Or would he jump through the door and create a hole it? Maybe he would destroy the whole wall just by walking through it.

Issei came to a stop in front of the doors. He glanced up at the small circle of stained glass that comfortably sat above the arching doors and huffed in amusement, noting that the church seemed to be more of a small cathedral with its stained glass, high ceilings and spires. It was different from what Issei had seen in his own timeline and the omnipotent human could confirm this. In fact, in all of the other timelines he had seen, it had still been the same abandoned church that had a simple design, not a small cathedral that was grand and luxurious.

With a raised foot, hands still in his pockets, Issei planted his foot against the double doors and forced them open, the hard wood cracking as they smashed against a wall on either side of the entrance. Issei peered into the building, furrowing his brow at the lifeless interior. There were many rows of pews with an extravagant altar that was covered by a golden trimmed fabric sitting at the end of the building on a raised platform. There was also large coloured windows that depicted several religious figures and events, obscuring any view to the outside world, with a large circular pane high above the altar, barely illuminating the walkway between the pews. But, despite the fully furnished and untouched interior, the building was devoid of life.

There was absolutely nothing, "Well, that was anticlimactic." Issei slowly muttered, further observing his surroundings in case Kokabiel had planned an ambush. Not that Kokabiel knew of their planned assault; the Fallen Angel had thought he had done quite a good job in hinting that he was under orders from the Grigori.

However, Issei could see through Kokabiel's earlier statement. The Fallen Angel was betraying Azazel, a topic that Issei had briefly mentioned before their fight, so it would be an embarrassment for Rias to claim that Azazel was at fault for what he had 'ordered' Kokabiel to do. So, with Issei's knowledge of many timelines and his own experiences, the human knew that Kokabiel would be _somewhere_ in the human world.

Somewhere overseas was obviously too far for the ordinary Fallen Angels to travel, so if Kokabiel wanted backup in a fight, he had no choice but to stay in the local area. The town that Rias had lordship over was the best choice, Issei concluded, as he could easily hide from the naïve Devil. It wasn't as if she was powerful enough to take him down in the event that he was discovered, so the Angel of the Stars should be more than confident in his ability to stay safe in case he really was discovered.

Issei slowly approached the altar after confirming that there weren't any enemies that were hidden in the shadows. However, even if Issei did have the ability to strengthen his body with magic, he wasn't able to increase his night vision, so if a Fallen Angel or Stray Exorcist was fully dressed in black and was standing in a corner away from the moonlight, they'd be able to hide from the human as if it was child's play.

And that is exactly what had happened.

A man pushed himself off of a wall in a corner and silently approached the altar, stopping short of the extravagant structure. He clasped his hands together in a prayer, muttered a few words to himself and turned around, his red eyes sharp. He wore a black fedora, black coat, black pants and an unusually dark red scarf that covered his mouth with a pair of black boots that covered his feet. There was a gun that sat in a thigh holster and a sheathed sword that was connected to his waist.

"A Stray Exorcist…" Issei whispered to himself, his fingers twitching in anticipation, an indescribable feeling welling up inside of him. Issei's breath quickly became ragged as a grin spread across his face, insanity threatening to consume him as the Stray Exorcist slowly made their way down the stairs of the platform that the altar was built on. Issei's mind temporarily became blank before his thoughts came back to him, all preconceived notions of stopping his insanity disappearing in favour of thoughts that involved the murder of the Stray Exorcist. In the back of Issei's mind, he knew he had fallen to his insanity once more.

"Indeed." The man's gruff voice echoed throughout the hall as he spoke, sending shivers down Issei's spine. The omnipotent human's grin morphed into a toothy smile of madness, a quiet chuckle building up in his throat. "My name is Freed Sellzen. What is yours, human?"

"My name is Issei Hyoudou. It's a pleasure to meet you." Issei bowed so as to mock the Stray Exorcist. Freed stopped short of Issei and stretched his fingers out as he prepared to grab his gun, intending on ending the human in front of him.

Freed wasn't killing Issei because of his friendship with a Devil but because of Issei's insanity that had been displayed as soon as Freed had shown himself. It was quite pitiful in his mind. After all, a human that had fallen to madness instead of harnessing his powers was something that required some pity, even if it was just a little bit. "You…are you associated with the Devils of this territory? I sense their presence in the area…" Issei's chuckled in response, his eyes tightly shut.

"Even if I told you, it wouldn't matter." Freed rose an eyebrow in response to Issei's ambitious statement.

"Hoh? You think you can beat me, human?" Issei chuckled in response and was in front of Freed in an instant, his hand in the form of a fist as he pulled his arm back. Freed widened his eyes in response and twist his body to the side to dodge the strike, surprise consuming his mostly concealed face.

"Of course I can, Freed!" Issei muttered as his initial strike missed, multiple thoughts rushing through his mind. The rational side of Issei was telling him that Freed wasn't supposed to be sane; the Stray Exorcist should be the deranged man that had a vulgar mouth and a violent personality. His irrational side ignored his rational side and told Issei that all of it didn't matter and that as long as he killed Freed, everything would be ok.

Issei realised that it was his irrational side that was feeding his insanity, but it was too late to stop his transformation. He was already insane and had become what Freed _should_ be, but as the Stray Exorcist dodged another strike from Issei, the omnipotent human came to realise that it didn't matter. Not in the middle of a fight, anyway.

Freed's change in personality was a difference in this current timeline, Issei had quickly noted as he dodged a swift jab from Freed. It was strange when Issei thought deeply about it. Had he really noted many differences in other timelines? Sure, there were some things that would stay the same, but was it ever this different?

It wasn't. It never was. In hindsight, Issei should have realised that _he_ was the one that changed, nothing else, and because of his changes, every event would end in various ways. He was always the cause for everything that happened. He was the one that made things change.

But now…now it was all different. From the Ars Goetia, to Rias' bratty attitude and now Freed. The changes weren't many, but they were still there and they puzzled him. But Issei had to dispel his thoughts. He needed to defeat Freed and then Kokabiel before he could think about such things.

Issei caught Freed's fist as it flew towards him and grinned as he began to twist it, a growl coming from the Stray Exorcist, "Oh, no you don't." Freed muttered as he reached for his pistol, his hand immediately on the grip as he drew it from its holster. Issei was forced to let go of Freed as he jumped to the side. A bullet – a _real_ bullet – was fired from the barrel, the gunshot echoing throughout the hall.

Issei ducked to the side, barely missing the second bullet, before he rushed forward, Freed placing his gun back into his holster with a click of his tongue. Freed's gun wasn't any ordinary weapon. Unbeknownst to Issei, it was capable of firing both normal bullets and light bullets with the flick of a switch; Freed was free to choose what kind of ammunition he could fire if he channelled a bit of his magic into a seal on the trigger. To make matters worse, it wasn't a revolver or a gun that required one to fan the hammer for rapid shots; it was a standard nine millimetre semi-automatic pistol which would allow one to fire all of the ammo of a clip in a matter of seconds.

It was a convenient weapon for a Stray Exorcist that constantly dealt with the undead and other demonic beasts, as well as the occasional human.

"You're pretty good!" Issei muttered as he ducked under a roundhouse kick that would have hit him in the head. Taking advantage of Freed's opening, Issei reached up to grab his leg.

"You are much better than I expected you to be." Freed muttered in response, a hidden grin forming on his face as he used the momentum from his earlier attack to form a dropkick that would surely connect with Issei's skull, even if the transition between movements was almost impossible for an ordinary person.

As Freed's leg fell through the sky, the wind screeching around it as it flew through the air at superhuman speeds, Freed's confidence in his victory skyrocketing. However, as soon as his leg _should have_ hit Issei, it connected with nothing but air, continuing its trajectory until it hit the floor, creating cracks in the stone.

Freed rapidly glanced in every direction possible, trying to find Issei. But he couldn't find him. The omnipotent and seemingly insane human was gone as if he had never existed. There wasn't a single trace of his existence. There was nothing. "What the…" Freed muttered as he realised that the human was gone. A thought had occurred in his mind. Did that human even exist in the first place? Was his monstrous past finally making _him_ insane? Was that human a physical representation of what he would become?

Freed narrowed his eyes. He hadn't looked above him and that was the only place the human could have been and if he wasn't there, Freed would declare himself to be mentally insane. It's not as if the human could be above him, anyway. It was certainly impossible.

Freed, with a knot slowly forming in his stomach, tilted his head back.

His eyes widened from shock. Hanging from the roof – no, standing upside down with the ceiling as the floor – was the human, his feet firmly planted against the stone. "You finally found me, huh?" Issei called out with a grin. Freed opened to his mouth to express his disbelief but in that very moment, Issei's hand was pressed against his forehead.

Freed was forced to the ground, his head smashing against the hard floor, a hiss coming from his mouth at the inconceivable pain, before Issei used the momentum of his fall to pivot his body into a roll, his feet firmly planted against the floor as he finished the smooth movement. He pulled his arm back, his hand still gripping Freed's skull, and threw the Stray Exorcist through a window with ease.

Issei watched as his opponent's back connected with a thick tree, the Exorcist falling onto his stomach soon after. He didn't move. Issei silently declared his victory as he straightened his back.

He fell onto his knees and planted his hands against the floor as the strain of the fight was too much for his weak body. He quietly gasped for air and watched as his sweat dripped onto floor. "Maybe that was overkill…" He quietly muttered to himself. Issei didn't mention his insanity. It was the second time it had happened. It wasn't a comfortable topic to think about.

"Are you…alright, Issei?" Rias called out from the broken window. Although the Stray Exorcist had been dealt with in a timely manner, Issei's behaviour wasn't reassuring in the slightest. Not after the conversation that the Devil had clearly heard from outside the church.

Issei glanced up at Rias and offered a shaky thumbs up. "Yeah…I'm dealing with some inner turmoil at the moment…going a little insane…" Rias furrowed her brow.

"Really?" Issei chuckled in response to Rias' question.

"No…no, I'm not going insane." Issei pushed himself to his feet and offered a small smile that he hoped would convey that he was doing fine. His insanity was only temporary. There was no way he needed to be afraid. He wouldn't lose his mind and kill everyone in the vicinity. Everything would be _fine_.

He hoped it would be fine, anyway.

* * *

 **Freed, huh? Nothing more to say about that, I guess. Although, maybe Issei's descent into insanity this time wasn't very clear or well expressed…oh well. Anyway, Kokabiel and his army are going down now. Anyway, this took longer than I expected because it's assignment/exam season at school and it's filling my time.**

 **Thanks for reading!**

 **See you next time!**


	8. Chapter 8

The staircase was dark.

It was too dark for Issei. He couldn't see a damn thing, the only sounds were the repetitive clanks of his footsteps and it was dusty. The omnipotent human wanted to get the job done, go home and peacefully sleep in his house that _doesn't_ have a hole in the wall.

Issei really needed to thank Rias for fixing the hole in his wall.

"So…where exactly does this take us?" Kiba asked from at the back of the group, breaking the uncomfortable silence. Issei didn't turn to look back at Kiba as he spoke, his eyes focusing on the stairs he couldn't see through the darkness.

"We'll find out when we get there." Kiba didn't respond. There was nothing more to say, after all. If Issei didn't know where it was taking them, which he honestly didn't know where it was taking them, no one would. So there was no point in trying to force an answer out of someone who has no answer to a question.

"Are you sure Kokabiel's here, Issei?" Akeno whispered to break the tension between the members of the small group.

"I'm almost certain he is. If Freed was waiting there, he must be guarding something." There was a short silence before Issei heavily sighed. "I'm talking about the Stray Exorcist." Issei had to elaborate what he meant when he was talking about Freed as no one other than him knew who he was. The Gremory Peerage didn't respond to Issei's elaboration.

An uncomfortable silence fell upon the group for the smallest moment before Rias interrupted it with her own question. "How did you know this staircase was hiding under the altar, anyway?" Issei remained silent as he was not intending on answering the question. He couldn't really answer the question without seeming suspicious as he could only mention his omnipotence. He could lie and tell Rias that Freed had told him it was under the altar, but he was sure that the Devil group had heard their earlier conversation.

"It was a hunch, of sorts." Issei had finally responded. His answer seemed to satisfy the Devil as she remained silent for the duration of their short journey down a dark staircase.

Eventually, a soft light flickered against the walls as the group approached the bottom, Issei sighing in relief as he was able to see again. In front of them was a giant stone door that had many intricate symbols carved into it in a strangely artistic manner. "This reminds me of a dungeon from a video game." Issei muttered to himself.

He approached the door, a hand raised as he prepared himself to push the structure open, but as he touched the stone, something threw him backwards. Koneko caught the omnipotent human in her arms and held onto him with an iron grip. "Not safe?" She asked, her eyes following the lines of symbols.

Issei shook his head in response. "No, it's not safe. I'll probably have to destroy the door with magic." Issei pried Koneko's hands off of him and jumped out of her arms, landing on his own two feet with the flourish of an arm. "Stand back, everybody."

Issei let a few seconds pass to allow the Gremory group to back away from the door, his foot tapping against the floor in a steady rhythm. He glanced behind him, seeing that everyone was a safe distance away from the large door, and clicked his fingers.

The door twisted and contorted as Issei's overwhelming magic surged through it, causing bulges to appear on the surface of the door. It pulsed once, twice and then exploded on the third count, sending giant chunks of rock all throughout the hall and onto the staircase. A few of the larger chunks bounced past Issei, over the Gremory group and onto the staircase where they lodged themselves, blocking the way they came from.

Issei deadpanned. "Are you serious? This actually reminds me of some anime and video games." A wave of dust suddenly exploded into the air as the roof of the staircase caved in, effectively making sure the human and his Devil friends couldn't escape in case of an emergency. "Well, the only way is forward, then." Issei muttered to himself in disbelief.

Issei stretched his arms out in front of him as he watched the rising dust cloud, waiting for an opportune moment to strike. "He I go!" He whispered to himself as he quickly burst through the dust cloud and into the room that the door was protecting, skidding to a stop on a hard stone floor. Needless to say, the room was not what he expected and it was different from the last time he had seen it.

Its ceiling was still high but was made of a grey polished stone. The walls were made of a similar material but had red banners covering most of it. The floor was made of a white stone that Issei thought was marble because of its pale glistening shine. A crowd of Fallen Angels and Stray Exorcists stood on the edges of the room as if they were anticipating Issei's arrival, a multitude of sneers and smirks tainting their already tainted faces. Kokabiel sat upon a lavish throne as if he was a king.

"Oh? You figured me out, human." Kokabiel bellowed from his seat on his throne, his loud, strong voice echoing around the room. The Fallen Angel jumped to his feet with crossed arms and stared down at Issei as if the human was nothing but trash, a smirk plastered on his face.

"Full of confidence, are we?" Issei responded with a grin, using a single leg to support most of his weight as he too held folded arms against his chest. "We'll see how quickly I can crush both your confidence _and_ your pride." Kokabiel huffed in amusement as Rias and her peerage emerged from the settling dust cloud.

"Relying on some friends, are we? I thought we would have an…honourable duel." Issei chuckled in response, his grin widening.

"Honourable duel? You don't know the definition of honour." Kokabiel rose an eyebrow.

"Is that so? Very well, then." Kokabiel clicked his fingers and watched as his loyal warriors swarmed Issei and his Devil friends, many bullets and spears of light raining down on them. A red barrier that was made up of magic circles surrounded Rias' peerage as Issei dove into the swarms of Stray Exorcists, bodies flying as he slowly made his way to Kokabiel.

Issei pulled his head back and gathered as much air as his lungs could handle before he released it with a roar, watching as waves of his enemies were pushed back by a cyclonic gust of wind. He hopped over their bodies and approached Kokabiel with his hands jammed into his pockets, his face marred by an annoyed frown.

"I didn't expect you to make it this far." Kokabiel had to raise an arm to block the wild punch that was sent his way, surprised from the speed that Issei had displayed. He was faster than their last encounter, that much was certain, but how did he had achieved this level of speed in such a small amount of time that left no room for training was unknown to Kokabiel. A few hours ago, Issei was struggling to beat him in hand-to-hand combat.

Kokabiel was quick to note that Issei's fists were now travelling faster than his eyes could see. There was a reason for this, however, as Kokabiel was not utilising his full power. When he takes form in the human world without Azazel's knowledge, he needs to suppress his power with a magical seal to avoid the attention of other supernatural beings. It was a minor inconvenience and an annoyance as the aftereffects of the seal left an uncomfortable feeling inside of the Fallen Angel's body, but as Kokabiel shattered the seal with a large burst of magic that sent Issei flying backwards into a throng of Stray Exorcists, the feeling had disappeared.

Kokabiel was ready to end Issei's life.

Kokabiel peered down at a fist that he had unintentionally clenched, feeling the power of his grip draw blood from his palms. Kokabiel glanced up at Issei as he rose from a pile of unmoving bodies, his hair shadowing his stoic eyes.

Issei wasn't angry. No, he had no reason to be angry. It's not like he actually _cared_ about _Raynare_ or _Rias and her peerage_ ; he only felt pity and a slight regret from had occurred in the past – both in this timeline and his own unreadable past. Too many things had happened and he felt the need to lash out on someone, something that could handle his full power. He didn't even know why he was acting so out of character; lately, whenever he is injured, he noted that he tends to form irrational thoughts and anger that fuelled his desire to kill.

And he had found that something that could be killed. Kokabiel, the Angel of the Stars, was standing in front of him. The Fallen Angel that most thought was one of the most powerful beings in existence was nothing but a tool that could be used to demonstrate Issei's true power; Issei had been holding back for far too long now. His pointless acts of seeming weak and powerless were over. He was ready to unleash everything he could. It wasn't that he _was_ weak even when he was pretending to be weak. Issei could crush everyone as if they were mere ants under his shoe. There were no worthy challengers in the vicinity. Not even Kokabiel could be deemed to be worthy; his power was far too small when compared with an omnipotent being's limitless strength.

And Issei was ready to give Kokabiel a taste of his true power.

* * *

I had once known what it had felt like to be loved. That light sensation that grips your heart and fills you with a comforting warmth was the only thing that was keeping me alive. But I no longer care for my life as I have no one to love…I have no reason to live anymore because no one loves me. Nothing is tying me to this dastardly empty existence anymore and I embrace my non-existent future, hoping that there is no such thing as life after death.

The sweet embrace of an empty mind was what I craved. I just wanted to _die_ and I thought that Issei would have granted me my wish as he mercilessly tortured me.

Issei…although he had inflicted the worst pain I could feel upon me, the short time I had spent with him was 'fun'. He alleviated my mental pain and I thought he was going to bestow me with the love that I had come to crave. It didn't have to be romantic or overly intimate; I wanted to feel as if I was worth something because I have no value and am ultimately useless. Not even a powerless human would want me.

So, as I sit here in the darkness, holding my knees to my chest as my dead eyes stare at the dirt floor, I can't help but wonder why. I can't help but wonder why I won't kill myself. Why? I've told myself countless times that I'm better off being dead. No one cares for me anymore and I have no real friends. No one would miss me if I suddenly died. Not even the man that I had once loved…

But Issei had offered me life when I was giving him death. Would I not be branded as a fool if I was not accepting of his offer? This human had offered me a reason to live again, after all. He had made me _human_ , the thing I had once protected. So I am no longer a Fallen Angel and I now have a chance to start a new life, a life that will lead me to the love that I crave. Knowing this, shouldn't I despise death and embrace the future?

Alas, nothing changed within me as I came to know that shocking truth. My empty heart remained empty, my silent mind remained silent and my motionless body remained motionless. Unmoving, unfeeling and unthinking. I wanted to end my suffering already but I didn't have the means to do so. My magic has been sealed away, I'm too weak and afraid to end myself with my own hands and there's nothing around me.

I sat in an empty darkness, sitting on the dirty ground, wishing that I would die.

I want to die.

I want to die.

 _I want to die._

* * *

Issei wiped a sliver of blood that had escaped the corner of his mouth. He stared down at it for a split second as he regained his breath, finding that he was reaching his limit. Kokabiel wasn't faring much better in the face of his enemy. Several bones had been fractured or broken in the short but fierce fight and a few organs had been punctured.

But Kokabiel didn't pay attention to his physical condition or pain. As long as he was able to defeat Issei, he was fine with his death. He had lived too long and had seen too much pain and corruption to the point that it had slowly driven him insane, forcing him out of Heaven and into the Underworld where his old companion Azazel had welcomed him with open arms.

If only he could return to the days where life was truly peaceful. How he craved the touch of his deceased friends and family. All he wanted was his memories of the past to become real once more. His first lover, his first friend, his first kill…he wanted to return to the time when everything was simpler.

However, he knew that that was impossible. Turning back time was not something that could be accomplished by any known being in the universe, so Kokabiel had to deal with his grief and suffering as he warded off Issei, watching as his loyal warriors were mercilessly destroyed by a small Peerage of weak Devils.

So, as he stood in the middle of the stone hall, facing the strongest enemy he has ever gone up against, he grinned. He grinned because he was going to kill his opponent and claim the title of a victor, even if it meant he had to die in the process. He didn't care about his life anymore. He didn't care about anyone or anything anymore. All he wanted was to win.

Faster than most eyes could see, Issei and Kokabiel threw themselves at their opponent at the same time. Countless amounts of punches, kicks and magic attacks were thrown around as if they were nothing, the mere wind pressure from their final confrontation threatening to blast the both of them away.

Both warriors steeled themselves and held their ground, slowly becoming weaker, slowly losing their power and slowly losing their lives. Issei endured a blow to the solar plexus, blood shooting from his mouth in a crimson spray. Kokabiel clenched his teeth as he suffered a kick to the neck, his head snapping to the side as blood seeped through the gaps in his teeth.

They were at a stalemate; they would both die before one killed the other. There was no competition anymore. If they did not put all of their strength into a final attack, they would die together in a pitiful hellhole that no one knew about.

"Kokabiel…!" Issei screamed as he pulled his fist back, a dark blue flame engulfing his fist in an extravagant flicker of light.

"Issei!" Kokabiel responded with his own scream, his hand outstretched as he gathered all of his magical power into his final attack.

Issei burst forward in an incredible displayed of speed and threw his fist into an uppercut, his face inches away from a large magical circle that would definitely blow his head off. Issei's fist continued its trajectory upwards but, just as it was about to connect with Kokabiel's chin, missed as the Fallen Angel tilted his head back.

A grin of pure malice spread across Kokabiel's face. "You fucked up, Issei. You absolutely fucked up!" A giant cloud of grey smoke filled the room as an explosion of epic proportions came forth from Kokabiel's magical circle, effectively ending Issei's life.

"Ha, what a waste of talent." Kokabiel spat a glob of blood on the floor as he struggled to stand upright, his legs slowly losing their strength to the point that Kokabiel was forced to collapse on the spot.

Off in the distance, amid the sounds of an ongoing battle, a distant shout was heard. Kokabiel turned his to the side, finding a silhouette standing in the smoke as he smiled, realising that his time was up. He didn't know if he had actually killed Issei and he couldn't care less. He was dying and was going to meet his friends in whatever afterlife there was.

But, just as Kokabiel was about to release his attack, Kokabiel had felt something in the atmosphere shift. It wasn't the mood of the fight; the actual air in the surrounding had changed in some way and it had allowed Issei to survive the blast.

"So I've been outsmarted, huh…?" The smoke was blown away by a gentle wind.

Issei hovered in the air, his hands in his pocket as he stared down at Kokabiel. The human didn't move. He didn't make an effort to say anything. He stared down at Kokabiel, watching as the Fallen Angel struggled to move his arm.

Kokabiel didn't kill Issei. His attack wasn't even close to hitting the human.

"You should just…end me already…" Kokabiel's sight was growing dimmer by the second.

"Is that your final wish, Kokabiel?"

"Yes." The conviction in Kokabiel's voice was too strong. He had accepted his fate and nothing would change his mind. Kokabiel wanted to die at the end of a glorious battle to prove to himself that his life was worth living, even if it would end shortly after. He didn't mind if he had survived the fight, either. Kokabiel would have committed an honourable suicide next to the corpse of his opponent if it came down to that.

"Then so be it." Issei pointed an outstretched hand in Kokabiel's direction, a small magical circle appearing. "Your life and everything it stood for will soon disappear."

Kokabiel watched as the silhouette dispersed, a small smile forming on his face.

He would meet his lover in the afterlife and that was all he could have asked for.

An explosion rocked the area as Kokabiel's body was devoured by an inferno.

* * *

 **Hi. It's been a while. I have no real reasons. I'm lazy, irresponsible and dealing with some inner turmoil. Although, because of that inner turmoil, I feel as if the quality of this chapter is greater than anything I have ever produced. People who have followed me for a while, what do you say about that?**

 **By the way, did you like the chapter? I knew it took a long time, but it's better than nothing, right?**

 **Anyway, I'll see you in the next chapter, whenever it comes out. Thank you for your continued support.**


	9. Chapter 9

"I've see you've not only fallen from Heaven, Raynare." Issei called out as he peered into a cage that had been concealed by a rather strong dose of illusion magic. The cage in question was small; it was large enough to fit a person of average stature if they were sitting cross-legged with a straight back but was not large enough for a person to lay on their back with an outstretched body or if they were standing. The metallic bars of the cage were thicker than Issei's forearm and shone brightly in the artificial light of the large room, magic sealing seals placed all over the hard metal. It was designed to be hard to break into.

Raynare glanced up at Issei and stared at him, her head buried in between the two knees that she held to her chest.

Pain. Pain and regret were the two emotions that were present in her dead eyes. Her violet orbs were dull and lifeless and lacked the warmth that Issei had seen earlier on in the day. Issei shoved a tightly clenched hand into a pocket and grimaced. "What's that supposed to mean?" The Fallen Angel quietly asked, her voice as equally empty and dull as her voice was.

Issei felt conflicted as he stared down at the supernatural being. What he was doing here offering Raynare his silent pity, he did not know. He had been asked by Rias to assist her in defeating Kokabiel and that was all. Issei didn't even care about Raynare in the slightest, nor did he care about Rias and her Peerage. In fact, Issei did not know why he had helped Rias.

Sure, Issei would have an increased reputation with the Devils of this town and the Grigori if Azazel was accepting of what had happened, but the whole matter was dull and uninteresting to him. There was no immediate gain or benefit from defeating Kokabiel.

Issei scratched his cheek in confusion as his mind needed a second to process his thoughts, "I don't know what I was trying to say, either. Anyway, it's about time I set you free." Issei poked the cage and watched as the bars instantly shattered, the magical seals offering very little resistance in the way of an omnipotent being's power.

"Just leave me here." Issei watched as Raynare's head lolled around on the base of her neck as her quiet voice escaped her lips. Dejected, alone and afraid; three key features that were somewhat identifiable through the Fallen Angel's actions.

"Why?" Issei asked as he crouched down to meet Raynare's lifeless eyes with his own.

"Because I'm worthless." Issei snorted at Raynare's sudden remark and grabbed her cool wrist with his hand. Issei's eyes scanned the entirety of her milky arm as he gently traced his index finger down the appendage, noting the smooth texture and comfortable cold it offered. Issei's eyes meet Raynare's once more as he clasped both of his hands over her own.

"Useless? Why do you believe that?" Issei's voice was barely a whisper.

Raynare responded in an instant.

"Because I have no value." Two hands fell to Issei's side as he silently pushed himself to his feet, his eyes never leaving Raynare's. "I don't think, feel or exist on my own terms." Knees were pulled tighter to a chest as a head rested in between them. "My whole life, I've never done anything by myself. I've always been controlled by someone or something." Raynare lifted her head as tears flowed down her cheeks, her raw emotions a mere contrast to her dead eyes and empty expression. "I've never known what it's like to be free."

Issei quietly released a shaky breath of stale air he hadn't realised he was holding, a nausea inducing knot forming in his stomach. Twisting and turning, wrenching at his insides as he unconsciously fell back one step with his arms wrapped around his abdomen.

Despite his omnipotence and range of experiences, Issei couldn't hold back the shiver that chilled him to his core as he fell to his knees, his eyes wide.

He hadn't expected _this_ when he arrived in this universe. He hadn't expected his sudden insanity. He hadn't expected his sudden urge to torture someone in his insanity. He hadn't expected the pity he felt for Raynare. He didn't expect his conflict with Kokabiel.

He hadn't expected _this_.

The emotionally broken Fallen Angel that couldn't help herself in her greatest time of need. The way the Fallen Angel stared up at him with her dead eyes and empty expression. The way the Fallen Angel wanted to end her life.

A cold sweat ran down Issei's back as he began to crawl towards Raynare.

Although he had wanted to change the future, he did not consider the consequences he would face when making such a foolish decision. He should have let this universe run its course without interfering as he usually does. But now that he has achieved a part of what he desires, he is facing the results of his actions, the one thing that he did not think of when selfishly thinking of himself.

"Raynare, I…I'm sorry…" Issei muttered as he held a hand out in the air, his fingertips lightly brushing against Raynare's cheek as she flinched under his gentle touch. "This is all my fault…" A small smile slipped onto the Fallen Angel's face as Issei slowly wrapped his arms around her, holding her head against his chest.

"What are you sorry for? You've done nothing wrong."

"I'm sorry for everything. I'm sorry for ruining your life, for being here, for killing Kokabiel, for existing, for…for…" Issei grimaced as he felt something form in his heart, his words struggling to leave his mouth. It was the first time he had felt such a thing in a long time. It wasn't happiness, anger nor was it love…it was pure sadness. Despite his one regret and lack of emotional familiarity with his companions, he felt a cold feeling in his chest that could only be described as sadness.

Raynare wrapped her arms around Issei's torso as her cheeks became stained with her tears, "I should be the one thanking you." She whispered as she closed her eyes, the beating of Issei's heart resonating in her mind as she silently smiled.

* * *

Issei gulped as he stared at two gloriously giant mounds that comfortably sat opposite him.

"Oh, what the hell am I doing?" He muttered to himself as he rolled over, resisting his masculine urges in favour of retaining what little dignity he thought he had. The naked body of what could be considered a beautiful girl was hard to resist, after all, so holding back his perverse thoughts and actions consumed all of his willpower.

Not too much time had passed before he had rolled over once more, staring at Raynare's two mounds without a shred of dignity remaining, "I have now stooped to the level of my perverted counterparts and there is nothing wrong with it…not yet, at least…" Issei repeated those words in his mind as he slowly breathed, owlishly staring at the twin peaks of the two mounds without any regrets.

"Even if I'm caught doing this, I have no regrets."

Issei was broken out of his stupor by the quiet vibrations of his phone on his desk, an almost silent alarm crying out in an attempt to disturb the sleep of anyone who was near it. Unfortunately, Issei was quick to turn it off as he jumped out of bed, switching the alarm off with the singular swipe of a finger, effectively ruining the mood of the non-sentient object.

It wasn't as if the alarm would have woken Issei up on any other day. No, he'd continue to sleep, oblivious as to what's happening in the world around him as he buried himself in blankets and pillows that almost suffocate him.

But it wasn't himself that Issei was worried about. It was Raynare.

A couple of days had passed since the Kokabiel incident. Diplomatic meetings between Devils and Fallen Angels regularly take place at Kuoh Academy to sort out the specifics of the incident and how it had come to be, Kokabiel's planned insurgence being the main topic of discussion.

Luckily for Issei, no one had broken through his window in the middle of the night and had killed him in his sleep. The same could be said for Raynare, however, she was more concerned about encountering an old companion or associate that would try to take her away from Issei and the new life she was building.

Raynare's new life involved lazing around all day doing nothing, cuddling Issei whenever she had the chance to and sleeping with a teenage boy naked. Absolutely butt naked. No underwear, no shyness, no messing around. Raynare shamelessly slept with a teenage boy that she hadn't known for more than a week absolutely naked. Raynare didn't have a problem with it. None at all. Issei did at first, but those idiotic feelings slowly dispersed as his hidden Hyoudou perversion surfaced after a millennia of rest.

How could he not be fine with it? He'd be stupidly weird if he did have a problem with it in the end. Not that he cared about what others thought of him. If he wanted to be stupidly weird, he'd be stupidly weird. If he didn't want to suffocate in two glorious mounds of soft flesh during his sleep, he didn't want to suffocate.

For some strange reason, Issei couldn't shake off the feeling that no one would understand his dilemma if he told them about it. Fortunately for Issei, his parents didn't understand his dilemma because they didn't know about it in the first place. While his mother and father knew that Raynare, known to them as Yuuma Amano, was living with them due to some heavy magical influence and a cover up story, they had no idea what the Fallen Angel and Issei did at night. For all they cared, they could be engaging in sexual intercourse and there would be nothing wrong with it.

As long as his parents received their deserved sleep, they were fine with whatever the two did.

However, they did insist that Raynare at least go to school if she was going to do nothing all day.

And that's what Issei was going to achieve today. For the first time in a few days, Issei Hyoudou was going to Kuoh Academy to persuade Sona Sitri, the student council president and heir of the Sitri Devil clan, to allow Raynare to join the school. If the encounter annoyed the hell out of Issei, so be it. This was all for the sake of his own sanity.

Indeed, Issei's sanity was slowly degrading as Raynare clung to him as if he was a life support machine. While Raynare did need some emotional support, she didn't need to drape her arms around Issei at every given chance because she felt insecure and unsafe without his touch. By attending school, Issei was hoping that Raynare would be able to rebuild her confidence and life so she was not as dependent. It was all for Raynare's sake.

Issei quickly reminded himself that he didn't actually care about Raynare. Not yet, at least. The duty of looking after her was shoved onto him by that insufferable red haired Devil, anyway, so he'll be damned if he started to care about the Fallen Angel. The less he saw her, the less attached he'll become, not that he'd become attached to her in the first place.

But, if Issei was truly honest with himself, he knew that his main reasoning for sending Raynare to school was because he didn't want her to discover his secret stash of secret stuff that mainly consisted of various materials that had been designed for an extracurricular activity, even though he knew that the chances of it already being discovered were high.

He was only a male, supposedly teenage, human, after all, and if the greatest pleasure of a human male was abruptly taken away from him, he'd definitely start a killing spree.

* * *

"Issei, kid, I need to see you after class." Issei rose an eyebrow, staring up at his chemistry teacher in disinterest.

"What is it about?"

"You." Issei sighed and slumped over his desk, his hands draping over the edge as his cheek lay on a comfortably cool textbook. It was unusual for Issei to stay back after class. In fact, the only time he had stayed after class was when he was trying to avoid his first contact with Raynare. Unfortunately, that attempt to avoid the Fallen Angel proved to be a waste of time as his teacher had places to be.

So, with his teacher's request in mind, Issei tuned out the remaining segments of his class and the dismissal of his classmates. The lingering groups were ushered out of the room by the teacher, the door was quietly shut and, as the chemistry teacher took her place on the edge of the desk that was in front of Issei's, she crossed her arms under her bust, "So, what's been happening, kid?" Issei glanced up at his teacher and huffed, lifting his head off of his textbook.

"Nothing, actually."

"So you've been away from school for the past few days just because?" Issei nod once and glanced at the nearby window, noting the blue sky. It wasn't as if he had wanted to stay home, although, he didn't mind that he had. And it was all because he was forced to take care of Raynare because she had been broken in various different ways, wasting some precious time that could have been spent on entertaining himself! Oh, how Issei now regretted getting involved with the Fallen Angel. His having to take care of her as if she was a mentally challenged child made him rethink his decision to spare her.

"Yup." Issei simply replied as he placed his head back on his textbook, ignoring his teacher's face palm.

"I know you don't like homework and all of that stuff, but you need to come to school every day to be well educated. Some of the other teachers have a problem with you, mainly the art teacher, but you're a good kid. You just need to put your brain to use." Issei groaned as his chemistry teacher of all people gave him that lecture. Sure, he'll admit that he's often lazy and irresponsible, but he knew that he could pass whatever exam or assignment he was given. Not that anyone knew that, of course. Most of his teachers thought he was a lost cause because he never handed work in on time. No amount of requested interviews did anything because his parents were always working. Issei was, in their eyes, a waste of time.

"I know, I know. I've received that lecture before. You don't have to tell me twice." Issei's chemistry teacher grinned and crossed one leg over the other, continuing to stare down at her student.

"Anyway, what do you think of those creeps that have been wondering around the school? I've been told that they're international business men that are interested in making investments in this hellhole." Issei raised his head once more.

"Wait, seriously? You've been told they're businessmen?" The teacher nod once in response, waiting for Issei to rant on about the subject matter as he sighed. "Miss, no offence to you, but they look nothing like businessmen. Sure, they wear suits, but the majority of them are tall, overly muscular and exude some kind of pressure from their bodies. You'd have to be really stupid to believe the person who told you that."

"So, you're saying they're supernatural beings? Also, don't call me 'Miss' when we're alone. You make me feel like an old woman. Just call me-!" The door slid open as two men entered the classroom.

One had long, crimson hair that reached down to his shoulders and back with blue-green eyes. He was tall but slim and wore a black suit with a red tie; he stepped ahead of the second man whose hair was short and spiky, coloured black with blonde bangs. He too wore a black suit that was accentuated with a black tie.

Issei's rose an eyebrow. "Oh, it's you two." The crimson haired man's eyes sharpened as he grimaced.

"Issei Hyoudou, you are under arrest for the murder of Kokabiel and Raiser Phenex." Issei's teacher stared at the two men dumbfounded before she glanced down at her student's passive expression. No emotions, other than a small grin that revealed that he had expected the two men to find him.

"Issei, you murdered someone!?" Issei stared up at his teacher.

"Correction – I may have murdered _one_ of them."

* * *

 **For the amount of time it took me to release this, the amount of words in this chapter isn't quite worth it, is it? Anyway, what do you think? I know my quality control of my writing is weird. In the previous chapter, my writing was sublime. Now I don't know what it is. Going back and editing it, I feel as if it seems…rushed. I don't know how to explain it.**

 **Should I make Issei's chemistry teacher a real character with a name, appearance and personality instead of being the 'chemistry teacher'? Let me know, 'cos I don't know what to do with her.**

 **Thanks for reading and sticking around. Your patience is appreciated.**

 **Yes, I know Issei sounds like a freaking tsundere, but that's character development for you. Also, the real story starts now.**


	10. Chapter 10

" _Why did we go this far to save a powerless Fallen, Issei?"_

A single, wishful dream.

" _A small act of kindness goes a long way, Rias. Besides, didn't you ask me to defeat Kokabiel for you?"_

Staring up at his face and into his brown eyes, noticing his small smile.

" _While it is true that I had asked you that, your true intention was to save this Fallen Angel, wasn't it?"_

The way he'd occasionally glance down at her to make sure she was alright, to make sure she was comfortably unconscious in his arms.

" _Hmm? I don't know what you're talking about. I don't actually care for her; this is an added bonus. I simply want to ensure my own safety in this town."_

Selfish words that brought pain to her heart, destroying the gentle and courageous image he had built for himself.

" _That's…different from what I'd expected you to say. It's extremely selfish, as well."_

How he grimaced in pain at what he had openly said, not meaning to reveal his true feelings to others. How he cast his eyes down to the floor in regret, his face slowly fading away into the present darkness.

Raynare opened her eyes to greet the blinding light of the sun, lying still in an attempt to pull the fading dream to the forefront of her mind, trying to remember its contents in a desperate attempt to recall why it was seemingly important to her. Was it about him, her human lifeline? The teenage boy that came to her rescue despite the overwhelming odds?

Raynare couldn't remember it in the end, no matter how hard she had tried to save the fleeting thought in her mind, and rose an arm to block the sun from her eyes. She groaned and rolled over moments later, expecting her human lifeline to grumble in annoyance with the sudden gain of pressure on his body. The cool, empty space of the bed welcomed Raynare instead, prompting her to crack an eyelid open in an attempt to find him, the one that she knew she had dreamed about. "Issei…?" Raynare muttered, her voice dry and coarse from dehydration. "Where are you?"

The Fallen Angel dropped her legs off of the side of the bed, her feet touching the carpeted floor, as she sat up, rubbing her eyes as she did so. She stared at the wall above Issei's desk as she gathered her thoughts, wondering where Issei was, and sighed, slowly pushing herself to her feet. Raynare wrapped a blanket around her body to protect her modesty, despite the fact that no one was home with her, and stepped towards the desk, a single post-it note stuck to the wood.

"I've gone to school today to negotiate your enrolment with Sona Sitri. I won't take too long and should be back at four. Winky face." Raynare sighed as she scrunched the paper into a ball that she tossed at a small, empty trashcan, clicking her tongue as she missed her target.

She glanced at a nearby digital clock.

"Midday, huh? What the hell am I going to do until Issei comes home?"

* * *

"Sirzechs Lucifer of the Gremory bloodline and Azazel of the Grigori…two of the most powerful beings in existence came to personally retrieve me, huh? Are you that scared of me?" Issei inspected his fingernails as he unconsciously mocked the Devil and Fallen Angel, a frown forming on the human's face as he noticed the large gap between the edge of his nail and the end of his finger.

"You're capable of murdering a powerful member of the Phenex clan with one attack as well as the murder of the second strongest Fallen Angel. That's more than enough to warrant our appearance." Issei glanced up at the stoic expressions the two beings wore and sighed.

"Ok, then. You guys clearly seem to be taking this seriously so I won't joke around. What do you make of this, Miss?" Issei stared up at his teacher with an empty expression and waited for her to respond, his head supported by one of his hands. Instead of giving Issei the reply he wanted, his teacher glared at the two men and waved her hand at them as if she was trying to make them leave the room.

"Before we start, are you guys permitted to visit the school right now? I didn't receive a notice from the headmaster." Sirzechs pulled a laminated pass out of a pocket and held it out in front of Issei's teacher, her head nodding once in satisfaction. She stared at Azazel, watching as the Fallen Angel grumbled a few words to himself as he too pulled out a pass that was similar to that of his Devil companion.

"Satisfied?" Azazel asked as he glowered. Issei's teacher nod once more with a wide smile, pushed herself off of the desk she was leaning on and faced the two men, a hand on a hip.

"Now, can you leave my student alone? Even though you're businessmen who have been permitted to wander around the school, I don't want you to interact with this idiot over here while acting as if you have chuunibyou. It'll be a bad influence on him." Issei smirked as Azazel scrunched his face up in distaste, his eyes quickly forming a glare that could bore holes through people if it was deemed possible. Sirzech's merely chuckled in response with a grin.

"Could you please give us a moment with Issei Hyoudou? We need to discuss some…things with him." Issei's teacher rose an eyebrow.

"No, I will not give you a moment to discuss some things with Issei because he did not murder anyone. Seriously, are you guys chuunis or something?" Sirzechs' lips twitched as his grin faltered, his expression appearing to be forced and unnatural as he tried to hide his annoyance. Issei didn't even need to correct his teacher; in his mind, he didn't murder anyone, especially Raiser Phenex, as he was ensuring the safety of his own life and town.

"What will it take to make you leave the room?" Azazel asked with a grumble as he observed the room, his eyes never sitting on an object for more than a second.

"Unfortunately, there is nothing that you can do." Azazel frowned as his brown eyes met the teacher's honey brown.

"Are you sure about that?" In an instant, a small, spear like object had pierced the wall behind the teacher's head, the milky skin of her cheek splitting open as a fine line of blood formed in less than a second. With wide eyes, lips tightly pressed together in a thin line, she turned her head to look at the wall behind her.

There was nothing. No hole in the wall, even though the object audibly hit it, no marks, nothing. Absolutely nothing that would have indicated that she had been attacked, even though she had been physically harmed.

She raised a hand to the cut on her cheek and pressed her fingers against the wound, lowering her hand so she could observe the blood. Her eyes widened. She quickly lifted her head and stared at the two men with confusion plastered all over her face, "What…just happened?"

Azazel crossed his arms as Sirzechs shot the Fallen Angel a disapproving glare. "Will you leave now?"

"No." Azazel sighed and ran a hand through his hair, trying to think of a method that would remove the teacher from the room without using force. A smug grin formed on his face as he shifted his body weight onto a single leg.

"What's your name?"

"Chiharu Yamada."

"How old are you?"

"I am twenty two years old!"

Azazel whistled in surprise as he shoved his hands into his pockets, "That's unusual. You don't really see fully fledged teachers at your age." Chiharu blushed as she rub the back of her neck in embarrassment, a quite chuckle escaping her as she held a hand on her cheek.

"Well, I graduated school earlier than others…" Issei rose an eyebrow as he attentively listened to the conversation. He hadn't realised that his teacher was quite young. In fact, he thought that she had to be in her mid to late twenties, not the beginning of them.

Sirzechs had the same train of thought as he quietly stood next to an Azazel that was offering Chiharu his praise, "Oh, do we have a genius here?" Azazel smirked as Chiharu's blush deepened.

"Hardly…I just studied a lot…" Azazel approached Chiharu and offered her a handkerchief that he pulled from one of his pockets.

"Stop being modest. You must have been a genius to become a teacher at such a young age!" Chiharu gracefully took the handkerchief as a gesture of kindness and pressed it against her cheek, her blood indistinguishable when compared to her flushed cheeks.

"Well, if you say so…hehe…" Issei held back a snort that would have otherwise spoiled the mood and forced himself to his feet, his hand reaching for a bag that sat next to his desk.

"Bribing Chiharu with compliments won't work, Azazel. Believe me when I say that I've tried and still continue to try, especially when it comes to not handing in my homework." Issei slung his bag around his shoulder and stretched his arms out in front of him. A red red magical circle had appeared in front of a hand that Sirzechs' calmly held in front of him.

Azazel ignored Issei and Sirzechs as he clicked his tongue in disappointment, his head turned to the side.

"Unfortunately, Issei, I am not permitted to let you leave by yourself." Issei yawned as he began to approach the door, seemingly ignoring Sirzechs' creased brow and grim frown, his hands shoved into his pockets.

"What are you going to do about it?" Issei held a single eye open as he stopped at the doorway, offering the Devil a smug grin from over his shoulder.

"You leave me no choice." A thick, grey cloud smoke burst into the corridor as an orb of pure malice was shot towards Issei at a subsonic speed that threatened to break the sound barrier, the human hastily creating a magical shield shortly before impact.

The smoke slowly cleared as students and teachers alike filled the corridor as Chiharu stared at Sirzechs' back with her mouth agape in a mixture of shock and awe. Azazel cleared his throat and watched as Sirzechs dropped his hand back to his side, "Now, shall we leave, Azazel?" Sirzechs began to turn around, believing that he had murdered Issei as if he was an ant.

However, Sirzechs discovered Issei sitting at his desk as if nothing had happened, "You…you survived that attack?" Sirzechs words were barely audible over the hubbub of the crowd that slowly filled the corridor.

"Hmm, you look like you've seen a ghost, Sirzechs. Even though Heaven and Hell exist, do you believe in the supernatural?" Chiharu slowly turned her head and rapidly glanced at the dying smoke cloud and an Issei that happily held a shit-eating grin on his face.

"What the hell is happening here?" Chiharu cried out as her awe and shock slowly devolved into confusion. From Issei's perspective, as well as Azazel's and Sirzechs', Chiharu's confusion made sense to them. A few moments ago, she was a normal chemistry teacher that knew nothing about magic or the supernatural. She had been raised on science and the belief that religion was a lie, but when she was confronted by two men who claimed to be highly influential religious figures, she couldn't help but think that they suffered from a severe case of chuunibyou.

However, when confronted with an awe inducing display of what could only be described as magic, she couldn't help but feel confused. She was raised on science, after all, so what was she supposed to believe? In Chiharu's mind, these two men couldn't have possibly been Azazel the Scapegoat and Lucifer because there was no way that they could exist.

"I'll reintroduce myself." Azazel said as he stepped forward, a hand outstretched in front of Chiharu. "I am Azazel the Scapegoat, leader of the Grigori. This idiotic Devil next to me is Sirzechs Lucifer, a Devil that currently holds the title of the strongest Satan – Lucifer." Chiharu slowly grabbed Azazel's hand and stared up at the Fallen Angel with a blank expression.

"You're not kidding, are you?"

* * *

 **Bonus!**

I sat in the centre of the front row, staring up at the red velvet curtains. They were slowly pulled apart by some unknown force, revealing a dark abyss that contained nothing. Lights flickered on, lighting up the expansive stage that contained nothing but a single person.

"Wait, where the hell am I?" I chuckled to myself as the person looked around, a hand scratching their head as they fell further into confusion. "This is…a stage?" Their eyes briefly meet with my own and the person frowned. "Who are you and what do you want with me?"

I crossed one leg over the other as I sunk into the back of my extremely comfortable seat, a sigh of pleasure escaping my lips. The person on the stage…they did well to notice me. Normally, the people I control aren't able to see past the invisible barrier I create when I control them!

Indeed, this actor, Issei Hyoudou, has managed to break the fourth wall! It was something I should have expected, though, as I have created him to be an omnipotent being that sees all. I clapped my hands in approval as Issei lazily shoved a hand into the pocket of his pants.

"Me? Well, you should know who I am…" Issei gasped as he fell back a step, a look of pure terror quickly appearing on his face. He raised a shaky finger that was pointed at me and grimaced.

"Y-you…are you the flying spaghetti monster?" I pursed my lips as I furrowed my brow.

"Are you serious? That's, like, a dead joke or whatever the hell it is. You're a couple of years late, buddy." Issei returned to his original posture and cleared his throat.

"I know. I was playing along, though. It was the first thing that came to mind." He stuck his tongue out of his mouth as if he was trying to mock me. I grinned and snapped my fingers, a sheet of paper forming in front of him.

"Anyway, here's the script for the preview! If you please read it, my slave!" Issei glanced down at the title and rose an eyebrow in disinterest.

"Really? This is called 'The Ultimate Preview'." I nod my head once and raised a fist at him.

"You got a problem with it, punk!? I'll kill you!?" Issei sighed and rubbed the back of his neck.

"Fine. I'm only doing this because you can discontinue my story!" Issei shouted as he quickly scanned the sheet of paper, scrunching it up into a ball after a few moments. He tossed it behind him as he frowned, "You're super slow at updating as well, you lazy bastard, so I feel as if you're gonna discontinue it without any warnings…" I feigned ignorance and pretend that I didn't hear the last part, even though that it was a whisper that echoed throughout the empty hall.

What? It's not like I'm going to abandon a story in the middle of it…! Oh…wait…

"Anyway, just read it already! Hurry up!" I demanded as I slammed a fist on the arm rest, flinching as pain shot through my arm like lightning.

"No, I refuse to read it!" Issei crossed his arms and turned his nose up at the thought of reading the preview…the preview I had worked so hard on creating!

"Just read it, dammit!"

"No!"

"I'll do it myself and replace you if you don't do it! And you know what happens when I replace you, right!? You'll disappear…forever!" Issei flinched and awkwardly chuckled by himself as his face paled. That's right! I taught this insolent fool a lesson that he'd never forget for the rest of his life!

Issei cleared his throat.

"Next time on World's End, the author, my dastardly dastard creator frekat, has prepared this! In the next chapter-!"

"STOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOP! CUT! THAT WAS TERRIBLE! ALSO, YOU'RE SPOILING THE NEXT CHAPTER AND I HAVEN'T EVEN DECIDED ON WHAT I'M GONNA PUT IN IT!"

Issei growled at me and stomped his foot against the floor, creating a hole in the stage.

"You know what, I'm done! I'm never reading the preview again!"

I snapped my fingers and, with a puff of smoke, he disappeared in the most anticlimactic way possible…and he disappeared forever…forever…

Now I'm alone again.

I sigh and slump down in my chair.

I'm all alone again, huh…?

* * *

Because I didn't describe Chiharu properly, I'll list her basic information.

Name: Chiharu Yamada

Age: Twenty two

Height: One hundred and seventy-three centimetres

BWH: It's a seeeeeecreeeeet…(shuuuuut uuuuup!)

Clothes (as of this chapters): A pinstripe suit that looks as if it's been designed for men!

Appearance: Milky, smooth skin, short brown hair that ends just above her shoulders while barely hanging above her eyebrows, honey brown eyes and…that's it…pretty ordinary…(think of Kagurazaka Ayame from Eromanga Sensei)

* * *

 **I know, I'm lazy and fairly useless. I kinda want to update faster, but I usually get stuck on what I should write for certain parts of a chapter. Just like with the whole Sirzechs, Azazel, Issei and Chiharu thing! I had no idea how to write a sequence that seemed as if it made sense character wise and whatnot. That's also why parts of this chapter may read a little awkwardly; I got confused with wording and grammar and punctuation and…I'll leave it at that. Also, the preview was a fun little thing I wrote in a couple of minutes.**

 **Also, Chiharu has entered the story due to popular demand! She's no longer 'the chemistry teacher'; she's Chiharu Yamada and you better remember that!**

 **Thanks for reading World's End, everyone.**

 **I know it's kinda hard to stay interested in the story when I don't update as frequently as I used to, but I'm trying my best, dammit!**


	11. Chapter 11

"Raiser, I will not lose to you! Never!" Rias glared at Raiser Phenex as they stood on opposite ends of the building's rooftop, both combatants ready to throw their attacks at the drop of a hat. Raiser smirked as he snapped his fingers, a ball of fire speeding towards Rias at unimaginable speeds. The heir to the Gremory clan dived to the side to narrowly avoid the attack, a wince escaping her mouth as the tender skin of her side was burnt by the fierce touch of Raiser's flame.

As Rias landed on her side, she quickly pushed herself to her feet, feeling the cool air calm her tenderised skin with its touch, a frown spreading across her face.

It had come down to the two Kings of two powerful peerages. Although some of their subordinates were still active, they were engaged in a fierce battle on the field next to the three story school building, rendering them useless in a battle between kings. Rias clicked her tongue in annoyance as she shot a quick glance over the edge of the building.

Her peerage wasn't fairing too well.

Koneko had already been knocked out by an explosive blast that came from Raiser's Queen. Yuuto was bleeding from multiple lacerations that appeared to be deep, his body in constant danger from an onslaught of attacks that came from multiple assailants. Akeno was in a deadlock with two Bishops and the Queen.

"If I was you, my beloved Rias, I would surrender. I wouldn't want my soon-to-be slaves to be hurt too badly." Rias returned her eyes to their original subject. Raiser…the man that was her fiancé and soon-to-be husband if she did not win this Rating Game. Everything depended on this battle…her and her Peerage's future depended on this battle and Rias would be damned to let her Peerage, her friends, be enslaved by a perverted, wretched guy with an ego that was so big it was clearly compensating for something.

But Rias knew there was nothing she could do. There was absolutely nothing. Raiser's flames were too strong for her to handle by herself, his control over his magic was too strong and he had endless vitality. For Rias, Raiser Phenex was unbeatable.

"But there's no way I can give up just yet!" Rias muttered as she flexed her hands at her side, her body hunched over ever so slightly as an array of magical circles spread out before her. One by one, lightning, fire and ice were conjured from the circles as Rias bit the inside of her cheek.

Even though she said she couldn't – no, she _wouldn't_ – give up, she wanted to. What was the point in struggling if she couldn't even defeat her enemy? She was useless in the fight against Kokabiel; the only thing she could do was slaughter as many Fallen Angels and Stray Exorcists as she could while struggling to stay alive. She nearly died in that fight and if it wasn't for Azazel's generous offering of an ex-nun that had a healing Sacred Gear, Rias would have had no choice but to surrender her freedom to Raiser without a fight.

"Ha, this attack…it's futile! Useless! It's useless! Useless, useless, useless, useless!" Raiser screamed out with spread arms as he looked up at the sky. He let Rias' attacks connect with his body, watching as Rias' face turned sour, the crimson Devil seething on the inside.

"You…!" A crimson orb formed in front of Rias as her anger and frustration reached its breaking point. Similar orbs formed in the air around Rias as a grin spread across her face, the floor beneath her surging and cracking against the force of a crimson energy that shot out of her body at irregular intervals.

Raiser rose an eyebrow as he shoved his hands into his pockets, a smirk spreading across his face once more as he lowered his head. "This child…what exactly does she think she's doing with such a useless attack?" All of the crimson orbs were simultaneously launched at Raiser, the air around the crimson energy sparking from the sheer amount of pressure the attack emitted. "Do you really think you can beat me with your puny attacks!? Do you really think you can defeat a member of the Phenex clan!? Against me, your attack…it's useless! Useless! Useless! Useless! Compared to me, Raiser, you are but an infant, Rias!"

Cracks spread across the floor as Rias' attack exploded on contact with Raiser's body, a shroud of steam exploding into existence. To an observer, it seemed as if Rias' attack was water against Raiser's flames!

The steam slowly settled as beads of sweat ran down Rias' face. "Did I…do it?" Rias intently watched the steam, watching for any signs of an attack.

'Dammit…I…I can't go on for much longer. This magic's draining my magical power! And there's no way Raiser would die so easily…he…he can regenerate his body, after all…'

All of a sudden, a fist connected with Rias' stomach, forcing her to hunch over as she retched. The fist was retracted from Rias' stomach, the hand's fingers slowly unfurling themselves before they formed another fist. Rias stumbled back as she hunched over, grabbing her stomach in an attempt to stop the overwhelming pain she was feeling.

"You dare to go against me, Rias?" The steam settled, revealing Raiser's contorted face. To say he was angry was an understatement. No, he wasn't just angry, he was _infuriated_.

"You'll…I'll never submit to the likes of you…!" A swift backhand forced Rias to fall to the ground, the Devil uttering a yelp as her head bounced against the concrete. Rias rolled onto her side and grasped the sides of her head with her hands, her eyes squeezed shut in pain.

"Surrender."

"Never…I will never surrender to the likes of you!" Raiser pulled a leg back and kicked Rias in the stomach, forcing Rias' body to curl up into the foetal position as she unwillingly vomited up the contents of her stomach.

"Rias, you know it's useless to resist. I think you should surrender now." Rias glared up at Raiser as she wiped the corners of her mouth with her sleeve.

"…" Rias did not respond, but her fiery glare and grit teeth were enough for Raiser to guess what her response would be. The Phenex sighed, shoved his hands into his pockets and pushed Rias onto her back with a foot, planting the same foot on her stomach seconds later.

"I guess I will have teach you some humiliation, Rias, darling." All of the air left Rias' lungs as pain exploded throughout her body, Raiser stomping on Rias' chest as hard as he could. "I know I am hurting you, my dear, but it's nothing that nun can't fix, is it? She can fix a few broken ribs, can't she?" Rias rolled onto her side and spluttered as Raiser returned his leg to its rightful spot.

'It…it hurts so badly…can't breathe…!' As Rias was gasping for the air she desperately needed, an explosion rocked the building. Akeno Himejima's body bounced off of the railing that lined the edge of the roof moments later, denting the green metal.

Her body disappeared in a shimmer of blue light.

Raiser sneered and approached the edge of the building, peering over it as was intending on watching Yuuto's futile struggle against Raiser's remaining forces. As soon as Raiser began to observe the fight, Yuuto was quickly overwhelmed as Raiser's Queen entered the fray and was knocked unconscious in seconds, blood exploding over every combatant that stood in front of Yuuto as his stomach was sliced open with a blade, Raiser's Queen stealing most of the Knight's attention.

"Hah, it now seems as if you're the last one standing, Rias." Raiser crouched down low and grabbed Rias by the hair, lifting her head off of the ground. She was forced to stare into Raiser's eyes, her anger beyond restraint. Rias knew that if she could move, she'd give Raiser a beating that he'd never forget.

But Rias couldn't. She was severely injured, could barely breathe and would have to go up against a force that would quickly overwhelm her.

"Give up, my dear, and I promise I'll make it as painless as possible." Rias spat a glob of blood into Raiser's face with a weak but defiant smile, the beginnings of a laugh managing to form in her throat.

"There's…no such thing as defeat…you bastard!" Raiser raised a sleeve to his face and wiped the blood off of his subjectively perfect skin, a growl escaping his lips.

"You dare to do this to me, Raiser Phenex!? I know you are now my wife, but this is something I cannot forgive!" Raiser grabbed Rias by the throat and lifted her into the air, the crimson Devil's body limp as Raiser tightened his grip on her neck. "I'll kill you, you fucking bitch."

"St…stop…!" Whatever it was Rias was going to say next was but a gurgle as her windpipe was being crushed by Raiser's hands.

"Will you submit yourself to me?" Rias tried to growl, to kick and scream, to grab Raiser by the hair and head-butt his annoying face, but the only thing she could do was choke on her words as she tried to escape the grasp of her husband.

Raiser tossed Rias' body to the side as she went limp.

"I've won, have I?" Raiser ran a hand through with a sigh, his quick change of mood and personality concerning even himself. "If I've won, then why hasn't Rias been transported off of the battlefield? Don't tell me…is she still conscious?" Raiser stormed over to Rias' body and planted his foot against her chest once more, waiting for her to move, to respond, to do anything.

But Rias didn't move.

Rias' body remained still as she peacefully slept from a lack of oxygen.

"What the…what's going on?" Raiser peered over the edge of the building, hoping to see his Peerage, and furrowed his brow as he noticed the empty land. "Where'd my peerage go?" There was no sign of his peerage. Blood stains and craters remained from battles past, but there was no sign of the people that should have been there moments ago. Raiser pursed his lips as he leaned on the railing of the building, observing the handiwork of his slaves. It was the only thing he could do, after all.

"They did a fine job, didn't they?" The Devil muttered to himself as he lifted his head to stare up at the empty, artificial sky that should have been perfectly fine.

But a crack formed in the space as an ear-piercing screech echoed throughout the artificial dimension. The crack slowly grew in size until a portion of the sky shattered, an empty, dark space hidden behind an explosion of what seemed to be coloured glass.

Crimson eyes peered out of the dark space, shivers running down Raiser's spine as he stared back at them, waiting for them to blink, but they didn't. They continued to stare at him until Raiser pushed himself off of the railing, his mind in disarray as he failed to comprehend what was happening because, as far as he knew, the artificial dimension shouldn't crack and explode without any warnings.

However, Raiser did not have enough time to make a decision as to what he should do in this situation as he had been forced into the ground with enough force to destroy every bone in his spine as cold hands snaked themselves around his neck. All of a sudden, an ashen grey face was all he could see, their pale red eyes smiling in satisfaction as their grin forced the heavy bags under their eyes to become more prominent, "Who…who are you?"

The grin widened, "Me? Well, let's just say I'm your worst nightmare, _friend_!" All of the air left Raiser's lungs as a neat hole was created in his chest, a warm orange flame bursting out of the hole. It was almost as if the flame was Raiser's life and what was signifying his death, but if it wasn't for Raiser's regenerative power, he'd certainly die from the grievous wound.

The body the face belonged to bounced off of Raiser and glanced at Rias' unconscious body, his grin forming into a smirk as he skipped over to the Devil, "Oh, would you look at that! It's my dear, dear, oh so ever dear Rias Gremory!" Raiser winced as he rolled over onto his stomach, slowly crawling towards the figure as they crouched down next to his fiancé.

"Y-you…don't touch her!" The figure glanced over his shoulder with a maniacal grin that sent shivers down Raiser's spine.

"You don't want me to touch her?" Raiser grit his teeth as blood seeped out of his mouth, his body becoming weaker by the second, his regeneration unusually slow. "Oh well, what can a dead man do, anyway? I'll touch her all I want!" The figure gently stroked Rias' hair as he chuckled by himself, staring down at Rias' peaceful face.

"I'll kill you…!" Raiser reached out to grab the figure.

"Oh, no one is allowed to touch me, you know?" All of a sudden, Raiser's head was detached from its body, rolling around on the roof before it slowly came to a stop. Blood spurt out of his neck and all over the back of the figure, a laugh of pure insanity echoing throughout the artificial dimension. "Now, what to do with you, Rias? Hmm, maybe I should spare you for just a little longer!"

The figure pulled his hand back and, before he could even think of attacking Rias, the Devil's eyes gently opened. They widened in shock moments later, "I-Issei…is that you? What are you doing here!?" The figure tilted his head to the side in confusion before he smiled in realisation.

"Who's Issei? Ah, that's right…I was once called by that accursed name, wasn't I? Issei Hyoudou, huh…? I hate the sound of it!" Issei pointed his hand and stabbed it through Rias' stomach, the Devil vomiting blood all over her front as Issei withdraw his hand, his tongue gliding across his fingertips as he moaned in pleasure. "Ah…! This…this is an amazing taste…!"

Issei jumped to the side as a barrage of ice seemingly appeared out of thin air, a magical circle appearing on the floor in tandem with the attack. Rias held a hand over the wound on her stomach and sighed in relief, her entire body relaxing, even though she hadn't known that she had become tense.

"Uh-oh! Is it that time already? Aw, that means I must go! I'll be seeing you again, Rias, my dear, so don't die before then…! Otherwise, I'll never forgive you…"

With a flash, Issei disappeared into a swirling haze of dark mist.

"M-Miss Rias!" Rias' vision slowly became hazy as blinked. She lolled her head to the side, faintly smiled when she saw a blurry figure at her side and closed her eyes, her vision fading into white as she muttered a few words to herself.

"Was that really you, Issei…?"

* * *

 **So, uh, it's been a while…? Sorry for the long time it took to 'pump' this out. I haven't exactly been busy, even though it's exam season for me, so I sincerely apologize. Anyway, I wrote…one and a half thousand words of this chapter before I scrapped it and started this one, so if you wanna see what I had written, feel free to ask for it because I've archived it along with other stuff. Also, this chapter is, in my opinion, utter shite because I don't think it flows properly. Please criticise me as much as you want. It helps, I promise.**

 **In this chapter, you got to see the main villain that truly makes story faithful to its title. Have I introduced the main plot point too late? Probably not. Should I release chapters as quick as I used to? Why, yes! I really need to do that! Do I need to up the quality of my chapters!? Yes, but I physically and mentally do not know how to do that! Also, I'm nearly on holidays, so I can update a lot then if I don't procrastinate too much!**

 **Also, I really want to write some extremely lewd scenes but to make that happen, I must advance further into the story.**

 **Thank you for reading World's End, everyone, and I hope to see you again in a future chapter!**


	12. Chapter 12

I felt as if someone had smashed a brick over the back of my head and, without doubting what had happened to me some time ago that came before this blank spot in my memory, that may as well be true. My head hurt, my throat was dry and it was hard to focus on the uncomfortably white roof that I was staring at.

I was in a hospital. That much was obvious, but I wasn't able to know anything else as my body felt too weak and painful to move an inch. The rising and falling of my chest as I struggled to breath hurt as much as when I tried to wiggle my fingers around, prompting me to groan every so often.

The beeping of a heart monitor was the only thing keeping me sane as my groggy mind started to clear, the monitor's incessant tones oddly disturbing as I managed to slip a grimace onto my face. I groaned once more from the pain of breathing, this one louder than the others, and felt the awakening of something or someone to my left.

In the corner of my vision, I could barely see them raise their head and, as their eyes widened in what I presume to be shock, I felt an intense sting run throughout my body as I tried to force myself to sit. I whimpered and lowered the arm I had been trying to raise onto the railing of the bed, letting my pain subside as I sunk into the soft mattress, "Miss Rias, are you awake?"

I could only groan in response as I attempted to force some words of confirmation out of my dry mouth. There was nothing but a squeak, what seemed to be a sigh following soon after as Grayfia Lucifuge rose to her feet.

"A-are you alright, Miss Rias? Do you need some water? Perhaps a doctor?" I tried to shoot Grayfia a dirty look that would have told her everything she needed to know, but I could barely blink. I ended up staring at Grayfia with what felt like fish eyes, the maid pursing her lips in response. "I see. That man – Issei Hyouou, was it? - seems to have injured you more than we thought…! No matter. I shall help you drink some water."

If I was able to move, I would have jumped out of this bed, grabbed Grayfia's hands and stared her dead in the eyes while saying, 'It wasn't Issei that did this to me.' Even though that man did look very similar to the human I have come to know over this past week, his personality and the atmosphere surrounding him is very different. Although Issei had seemingly lost his sanity at the abandoned cathedral at one point, he still didn't give off the feeling that this other man gave off, even if his insanity was concerning.

And as I thought of how I should injure my brother's maid and wife Grayfia, she, despite the pain she probably knew I was feeling at this moment, gently raised my head with one hand while using the other to position a glass of water to my lips.

"But there is no need to worry, milady, as your brother has gone with Azazel of the Grigori to arrest and potentially kill that wretched human."

Scratch that; if I was able to move, I'd launch myself out of this damned bed and punch Grayfia right in her pretty face and eternally regret doing that. Grayfia didn't deserve to be punched nor did Issei deserve to be arrested or potentially killed, but if Issei was going to be arrested, I may as well punch Grafyia.

"Not his…fault…" I could barely force myself to speak those three measly words once Grayfia gently lowered the glass and my head, but as they were muttered, a dark expression overcame Grayfia's face. She stared down at me, offering me her uncharacteristically pitiful eyes in an attempt to console me, and gripped the short railing of the bed as tightly as she could.

"It's not his fault? Oh, Rias, if only you knew how badly he has injured you! That man…he has…he has taken away your ability to walk." All of a sudden, my world had collapsed. All of a sudden, I found myself unable to respond to Grayfia's words that she had obviously struggled to say.

That man…that person that looked like Issei…he has paralysed me? Or is it more accurate to say that he had paralysed my legs? Despite my attempts to move my legs through the overwhelming pain I thought I would have felt, there was nothing. Not even the numbness that was usually associated with a lack of circulation to a body part.

"H-how…?" I managed to squeak with wide eyes. Grayfia, with her eyes downcast, let go of the railing and clasped her hands over one of mine.

"He severed your spine. We don't know what he used to do it, but there was a clean stab wound on your stomach with an exit wound parallel to that." I was flabbergasted. As I remember it, that man used his hand, didn't he? It was pointed and was shoved straight through me, all the way through my stomach and out the other side...

"So…magic can't fix it? Where's Asia?"

"She's already tried to fix you, Rias," I know Grayfia didn't want me to look at her and see the state she was in, but tears were streaming down her face without restraint, "And the only healer that can is missing."

* * *

Issei burst through the window with Chiharu in his arms as a multitude of magical attacks impacted the areas surrounding him. Although he had escaped unharmed, Chiharu was shocked by the sudden onslaught and what felt like teleportation as she suddenly found herself standing in the street. She looked to Issei for answers and found his grim smile as smoke billowed out of a hole in the school building, "A-are all of the students going to be okay?"

"Maybe," Issei glanced down at Chiharu as he intently observed the smoke, "It depends on if there's actually a fire, you know?" Chiharu sighed.

"Well, what did you even do to make Sirzechs attack you like that?" Issei pursed his lips as he struggled to formulate his answer as he wasn't even sure himself. Sure, Sirzechs did leave the room to answer a phone call, but that didn't mean he suddenly had the rights to fire off his fatal attacks in the middle of a human school.

"I don't know and I don't care. Although, it kind of is my duty to stop Sirzechs, isn't it?" Chiharu slapped Issei over the back of his head with a frown, unable to believe her student's sudden lack of humanity and empathy.

"You're such a dolt, you know that?" Issei pretended to feel offended as he scoffed in response, turning around and stumbling backwards as he raised his hands in the air.

"Ugh, how could you call me such a thing? Actually, who even uses the word 'dolt' anymore!?" Chiharu's face flushed in embarrassment as a grin spread across Issei's face, "Anyway, if you move from here, you might die. So don't move, okay?"

Chiharu gave Issei a mock salute as she watched him disappear with the wind, almost as if he had never been there in the first place. "I'm supposed to be teaching this kid something…right?"

* * *

"Sirzechs, stand down!" Azazel's shout pierced the shrill cries of the students surrounding the pair as a small cloud of smoke slowly settled. Sirzechs, with a sinister crimson aura surrounding him, turned his head to stare at Azazel from over his shoulder. All of sudden, the wall behind Azazel disappeared in a flash as an orb of malice destroyed it upon contact.

"No, I cannot, Azazel. So I will not fight you, but I will not allow you to stop me!" Azazel ducked under a second orb that had been shot at him and was forced to push a student out of the way of the third, the orb missing their body by a few millimetres.

"Sirzechs, you…!" Azazel charged towards the Devil as a sword of pale light formed in his hand.

"What, Azazel!? Do you know what he's done to my sister? Do you know how much it hurts to know that she might never walk again!?" Azazel grit his teeth as he slid under an orb, twisting to the side in the middle of his recovery to dodge a second, third and then a fourth that forced him to try and deflect it with his sword.

The orb shot off in a random direction as Azazel's sword slowly crumbled away into dust, a grimace forming on his face. He tossed what remained of his sword to the side in favour of creating another one, "Sirzechs, I do know what it feels like to lose someone important to you and that's why we're both here! I'm not your enemy, so stand down before someone gets hurt!" Sirzechs' stare sent shivers down Azazel's spine as the essence of death had manifested itself in the pair of blue-green orbs.

"You know what? You're just an aloof, good-for-nothing porn addict that shouldn't be here. So what do you know about my pain? Is it the pain of falling from Heaven?" Azazel growled as he grit his teeth, his stance and centre of gravity lowering as an array of light spears formed in the air around him, all of them pointed at Sirzechs.

"You…I was a fool to have ever trusted a Devil like you so easily…! The bunch of you…you're all a bunch of assholes." The air surrounding the two supernatural beings became dense as their manifestations of incomprehensible power forced the composition of the environment to shift.

The wood of the building decayed, it felt harder to breathe and the air itself put a heavy weight on the bodies of the helpless students. The tension was thick enough to cut with a knife, almost as if the tension itself was a string.

And then the string snapped in two as two attacks of god-like strength clashed in a battle of endurance and strength, whittling away at the vitality of both attackers; sparks and smoke exploded throughout the room and was scattered as Azazel's attacks were destroyed by Sirzechs' Orbs of Destruction, windows shattering from the resonation of the glass-like substance against the gravity defying magic.

Sirzechs, surrounded by the screams of the powerless human students and a thick curtain of black smoke, rapidly twisted and turned as the sounds of the clash died down, "Where are you going to come from, _traitor_?"

Sirzechs dived to the side as he felt the air behind him shift, a giant blade of light forcing itself through the floor moments later, "Who's the traitor, you insane fuck?! You could have killed those students!" Azazel spun to the side to avoid a fist that Sirzechs threw at him, the Fallen Angel forming a sword in his hand in the middle of his movement.

Sirzechs jumped back to avoid the slash Azazel hastily performed, followed by a step to the side as Azazel lunged at the Devil. Sirzechs stepped into Azazel's defence, an orb of destruction magic forming in the blink of an eye, "I bid you farewell, Fallen Angel." Azazel grit his teeth and tilted his head to the side, the orb narrowly missing its target.

"Never say that until your victory is secured, you cocky piece of shit!" Sirzechs raised his hand and grabbed a light spear out of the air with a smirk on his face.

"And you shouldn't say that unless you know you'll escape with your life." Azazel offered a grin in response and watched as confusion spread across the Devil's face.

"I know. And, fortunately, I do know I'll escape with my life!"

"Wait, what the-!?" The light spear exploded into shards of light that embedded themselves in the Devil's body, the hissing of steam becoming audible as smoke came from the wounds on Sirzechs' body. Azazel, his grin still on his face, rose to his feet as his Devil foe fell onto both knees, blood slowly oozing out of his wounds as he gasped from an intense, burning pain that was quite unlike anything he had ever felt before.

"You know, you'd think that me being a scientist and all would tell you that I'd have some tricks up my sleeve, right?" Sirzechs glared at Azazel as he came to the realisation that he was at the Fallen Angel's mercy.

"Y-you bastard…!" Azazel folded his arms across his chest.

"Oh, you're calling me a bastard? Who's the one that indiscriminately used some of his most powerful attacks without putting up a barrier, huh?" Sirzechs growled as he slowly pushed himself to his feet.

"That boy…Issei Hyoudou deserves all of the pain my sister felt when he murdered her fiancé and crippled her!" Sirzechs raised a shaky fist, blood running down his wounded arm, and slowly extended it, softly hitting Azazel in the chest.

"Give up, Devil. You've lost if that's your strongest attack." Sirzechs pulled his head back as he summoned the last of his strength.

"But I haven't lost yet!" And, with a war cry, his head collided with Azazel's, forcing the Fallen Angel to stagger and lose his balance as he clutched his now bleeding nose. Sirzechs closed his fist, clenching it shut so tight so that he drew blood, and summoned his magic to produce a final crimson orb that would end the life of his foe.

"Dammit…! That hurt, you bastard!"

"Good. Because that's the last thing you'll be feeling before you cease to exist. So say your goodbyes, Azazel of the Grigori."

"Okay! Goodbye, Sirzechs Lucifer of the Underworld!" Sirzechs twisted to the side and fired off his Orb of Destruction into the lingering smoke as the familiar voice of an intruder was heard. "The World!

There was a shift in the air as the colour and gradient of the world changed, each colour becoming its opposite as time seemed to come to a stop, a short, distorted ringing echoing throughout the space.

"Wait…what the…what is this rip-off of a move?" Azazel muttered in confusion.

"How long can you move in the stopped time, Sirzechs?" The voice rang out as a figure swaggered through the smoke.

"Issei...Hyoudou…?" Sirzechs stumbled to the side as his vision started to become blurry.

"Yes?" A single crimson orb pierced the smoke, forcing the smoke to clear, revealing the object of Sirzechs' hatred.

Issei Hyoudou stood with his hands on his hips.

"So it really is you…" Issei jerked a thumb in his own direction, a grin on his face.

"Yes…it is I, Issei!"

"Finally! I'm going to make…you…!" Sirzechs fell onto his face in the middle of his sentence as he became unconscious, a laugh building up in the human's chest.

"Is…is that guy for real? He was trying to give me a death threat and he just collapses and knocks himself out…? Hehe…hahaha! What an _idiot_!"

"You're an idiot for creating a cheap knock off of a move that already exists! Not to mention it doesn't work properly!"

"Leave me alone, okay? I just saved your life!"

* * *

 **Hello, it is me here. Now, you might be wandering why this chapter took so long…well, in short, I found that writing in third person all the time is kinda boring. That's why the Rias segment is in first person. It inspired me to write the rest of the chapter as quickly as I could! Unfortunately, it hasn't inspired me to stop procrastinating…and it hasn't inspired me to stop comparing how bad I am to professional light novel authors like Nagatsuki Tappei and Natsume Akatsuki…but I will try and write some segments in first person to keep me engaged. Also to keep a balance in the story...somehow...**

 **Anyway, I hope you liked this chapter. I worked very hard on it, so I'd appreciate it if you could leave a review, tell me that I'm utter crap at my hobby and then run off to never read this story again! Actually, don't do that. Just a normal review would do.**

 **Also, did the end seemed a little…rushed? I'm not too sure myself, to be honest, so I'd appreciate some feedback on that.**


	13. Chapter 13

"So, Azazel, what happened here?" Azazel shot Issei a dirty look as the human pulled him to his feet, the smoke having settled rather quickly.

" _You_ should be telling _me_ that as you're the catalyst for all of this." Issei sighed as Azazel's statement couldn't be more correct. Issei was the catalyst for Sirzechs' rage, but that was all he knew. He didn't know the details of Raiser Phenex's death, he didn't know about Rias and her injuries and he certainly didn't know about the man that came close to being identical to him. He didn't know about any of it, yet he was supposed to explain himself to someone that probably did?

"I'm the catalyst that knows nothing." Azazel rose an eyebrow as Issei shifted his bodyweight onto one leg.

"So you really know nothing about what happened to the Devils?" Issei nod once. "Seriously?" A second nod forced a sigh out of Azazel as he massaged the bridge of his nose. "But you know all about Kokabiel?" A third nod was all Azazel needed to confirm his rising suspicions.

"I know all about Kokabiel but know nothing about Sirzechs' issues. If you could please enlighten me on this matter that concerns these Devils?" Azazel folded his arms across his chest.

"Unfortunately, I know nothing about the things that happen on his side of the Underworld." Issei frowned, glancing at the destruction around him.

"Then I'll have to wait for him to wake up."

"You will. In the meantime, would you please take a seat?" Azazel pulled a chair out from under one of the few surviving desks and plopped himself down on it, a hand rubbing the side of his neck. Issei took one step back and shoved his hands into his pockets.

"While I would like to discuss the events surrounding Kokabiel, I came to this school with different business in mind." Azazel clumsily lit a cigarette and stared up at Issei, an eyebrow raised as he waited for Issei to continue. "It has to do with Raynare. If you want, I can bring her here as a witness." Azazel released a puff of smoke.

"I'd appreciate that."

* * *

Raynare yawned as she found herself staring at the television in front of her. With a thin sheet she had half-heartedly wrapped around her to protect her modesty from no one, she absentmindedly took in the sights and sounds of a soap opera that had been airing every day at the same time for the past week, "Human television isn't half bad. It's terrible, but it's not boring."

After losing her wings and what was essentially her right to be a Fallen Angel, she genuinely had nothing to do during the day. Sure, Issei had been at home with her for the majority of the past week, but that didn't mean he spent all of his time with her. Most of the time he left her to her own devices as he pursued his own hobbies.

"Stupid Issei, leaving me here all alone."

"Gasp! So that's how you really feel about me…" Raynare turned her head to stare at Issei, not even surprised that he appeared out of nowhere, and flinched as a bag was thrown in her direction. Its contents were soft, but that didn't mean it didn't hurt Raynare as it bounced off of her face.

"Of course it is. We haven't had a very good relationship so far, have we?" Raynare said as she peered into the bag. A neatly folded white summer dress sat inside of it.

"Why do you make it sound like we're in love?" Raynare stood on her feet and headed towards the bathroom, stopping at the doorway as she glanced at Issei from over her shoulder.

"Because the only thing I've been doing this past week is watching crappy soap operas on TV. Whose fault do you think it is?" Issei rubbed his chin as he pretended to think about his answer. He snapped his fingers, watched as Raynare shut the door behind her as she shook her head and grinned.

"It's your fault, you know? If you wanted to go outside, you could have gone outside. If you wanted to go out for lunch, you could have asked." Issei heard Raynare groan from inside the bathroom.

"Did you know that you're an annoying prick?" Issei chuckled to himself as he leaned on the wall next to the door.

"Sometimes, yes." The door swung open moments later, an annoyed Raynare emerging with folded arms.

"Good. Anyway, what's the occasion? Taking me out on a date?" Issei rose an eyebrow.

"Are you asking me that because you secretly love me?" Raynare huffed and puffed her cheeks out as she passed Issei, stepping down into the genkan.

"I bet you wish I was in love with you." Raynare crouched down and slipped a pair of sandals on that Issei had given her earlier on in the week, muttering obscenities to herself as she slipped out of the house moments later, Issei trailing behind her. "So, where are we going?"

"You're going to meet an old friend…well, he's you're leader instead of a friend, isn't he?"

* * *

My heart was racing a thousand miles an hour.

Why?

I was meeting the leader of my faction after my impromptu and sudden desertion.

Did he know about it?

Did he know about the things Kokabiel did?

Did he know that Issei killed Kokabiel?

My mind would not rest, nor would it stop racing through countless thoughts that continued to ravage my mind.

Would Azazel kill me?

What would he think of my wingless body?

What is he going to do to me?

Issei led me through the empty school building as all students and staff had, according to Issei, evacuated after Azazel's and Sirzechs' short but devastating fight.

Azazel and Sirzechs.

They are the leaders of their respective factions.

Azazel the Scapegoat of the Grigori guides the Fallen Angels.

Sirzechs Lucifer the Crimson Demon, the leader of the Four Satans of the Underworld, guides the Devils.

Both are powerful figures who are the strongest of their race with few to rival them and their power made itself clear as I made my way into a corridor that had essentially been destroyed; there were no doors or walls to speak of.

If I had to be honest, the state of the building was rather underwhelming. Two of the strongest beings in the world had only destroyed a few walls? Maybe they had been holding back. Maybe they didn't want to accidentally kill any of the students or staff.

And as I was led into what remained of one particular classroom, Issei never turning to face me, I understood why.

Azazel sat on a chair by himself, a cigarette in his mouth as he stared down at the still body of a man I had never seen before. Judging by their crimson hair, it was Sirzechs Lucifer. I shifted my eyes to Issei's back and watched as he glanced at me from over his shoulder. He mouthed something at me that I couldn't understand, but I took it as a sign to step forward.

The building hadn't been destroyed more than it had been because Azazel had successfully defeated Sirzechs. I didn't know if Sirzechs had been knocked out or had been killed, but it was clear that Azazel had somehow overcome the strength of his opponent and had emerged victorious.

Knowing that, I cleared my throat and watched as Azazel lazily swung his head in my general direction, his dim eyes lighting up at the sight of me and my 'partner', "Ah, the two people I was waiting for. Did you finish whatever it was you had to do, Issei?" Azazel kept the cigarette in his mouth as he talked, my eyes wondering around the room in an effort to avoid the pair of eyes that would not let me out of their sight.

"Nope. I decided I'd get Raynare first because I thought I'd need her for what I was going to do." Azazel pulled the cigarette out of his mouth and dropped it on the floor, squishing it with his heel.

"Well, whatever works best for you." I felt left out as the two men conversed with each other, even though one of them never looked away from me. It was a little uncomfortable, but it was a nice feeling as I was receiving the attention I once craved. "So, you're Raynare, correct?"

My heart sunk as Azazel asked that question. I knew there were a lot of Fallen Angels in the Grigori, most of them unimportant with no redeeming qualities, but I was kind of hoping that Azazel would have recognised me. But it couldn't be helped. He was an important man and had many things to do, so of course he wouldn't remember a lowly Fallen Angel like me.

"Yes, sir, I am Raynare."

"You don't need to call me sir. Just call me Azazel." I felt my cheeks heat up from embarrassment as my attempt to be polite was shot down.

"O-okay, Azazel." A grin spread across Azazel's face as he briefly glanced at Issei, his white teeth revealing themselves as he grinned.

"Isn't she cute, Issei?" I saw the beginnings of a smirk form on the face of my human benefactor as my face became even hotter.

"Well, this is just one of two forms, you know? This is the cute schoolgirl form and the other one is the sexy seductress." Azazel's eyes almost popped out of his skull as the intensity of his stare increased. All of this attention is nice, but it's not so good when it feels as if they're seeing your naked body…

"For real!? Let me see it. She has huge breasts in this form, so they'll get bigger, right?" Without looking at Issei, I could tell that he winked at Azazel, making my leader salivate from the perverted thoughts he probably had. I covered my chest with both arms in an attempt to relieve the dread I was suddenly feeling.

"C-can we get on with whatever it is you need me for? Y-you're making me uncomfortable…" My voice was only a quiet squeak, but it was enough to make my leader clear his throat to recompose himself, a red tinge visible on his cheeks.

"I agree." Was his response as he jumped to his feet, his arms folded over his chest as he stared down at me. "Now, Issei brought you here to act as a witness. Are you familiar with Kokabiel?" I nod once, his eyes still not leaving me. "I'd like to know how. Did he approach you? Was it a coincidence? Or did someone introduce you to him?"

"He approached me. I was in the Underworld and was trying to find a decent restaurant I could eat at. He saw that I didn't know where to go, so he guided me to a nice place and had lunch with me."

"That's unlike him. What happened next? Did he offer you anything? Something like power, fame or money?" I scratched my cheek in embarrassment as I did not want to tell Azazel what I had been offered. But if I wanted to help Azazel, I would have to tell him, despite my embarrassment.

"Y'see, he, um, he offered me the power to be recognised by you…in a, uhh, romantic way…" I buried my head in my hands as I quietly groaned from the embarrassment I had been continuously feeling, my cheeks so hot I could almost burn my hands on them. I peeked out at Azazel from behind my hands and saw that his cheeks were a little red too, my shame decreasing just a little at the oddly pleasant sight.

"Oh, um, well, it honours me to hear that you have those kinds of feelings for me…Raynare…" Azazel coughed into a hand as he turned his head away. In the corner of my eye, I could see Issei giggling uncontrollably. To solve that, I elbowed him in the ribs as hard as I could in the hopes that it would shut him up.

"I don't really feel that way anymore, so don't take this the wrong way, okay? If you do…well, I can't really do anything to you, can I? But if I could, I'd punch you until you apologise."

"Even if you tried to hurt me, you probably wouldn't be able to. Anyway, what happened after Kokabiel offered you that?"

"He asked me to join him. To be more specific, he asked me to join his group because he was planning on staging a coup." A grimace slipped onto Azazel's face, showing that he wasn't happy with what I had said. "I swear it's the truth. I didn't find that out straight away, but more of our kind were sweet-talked by him to join his cause. My obsession for power meant I didn't want to leave, not that I was able to, because leaving meant betraying the cause and the punishment for that was death…" Azazel pursed his lips together as he refrained from showing any emotion.

"I see." Was his simple response as he approached me. "Is there anything else you know? What about Kokabiel appearing in this town?" I frowned as I tried my best to recall any memories of Kokabiel ordering me to move to this town, but nothing came to mind.

"Unfortunately, I don't why he decided to come here, but if I had to take a guess, it was after I failed to send him a report on a mission he had given me. I also think it's because he wanted to try and reignite a war with the Devils." Azazel stopped short of me and glanced at Issei, my leader's face still lacking any emotion.

"What was your mission?" I silently gulped after he asked that question.

"My mission? My mission was to assassinate the human right next to me because of a Sacred Gear that Kokabiel thought was in his possession. It is apparently strong enough to defeat him, assuming you got to him first." Azazel furrowed his brow.

"So you didn't follow through with it? And a Sacred Gear? Which one?" Issei stepped forward to respond in my place.

"She attacked me but I, in a crazed frenzy, defeated her and tore her wings off. I also sealed her magic at the same time so she couldn't attack me again. As for the Sacred Gear, I'll leave it up to your imagination as I'm not ready to share that information." Azazel sighed as he stepped back, his head hanging low as he ran a hand down his face.

"This…this is all a big, fucking mess that I really don't want to sort out."

"Well, you can sleep on it, I guess. I'll have you know that Rias Gremory had asked me to help with Kokabiel because he was on her territory without her permission. She didn't necessarily ask me to kill him, but as he was seriously trying to kill me, I had no choice but to use all of my strength. I take full responsibility for his death." I glanced up at Issei and reached out to tug on his sleeve so I could grab his attention, but I hesitated and pulled my arm back at the last second.

If he wants to take responsibility for the whole thing, there's nothing I can do to change that.

"No, no, it's okay. If what Raynare is saying is true, it's not your fault. In fact, I should be thanking you for killing him as you prevented a possible coup that would not have ended well for either of us. It would have been favourable if you had incapacitated him and brought him to me so he could be frozen in Cocytus, but that clearly wasn't going to happen." Azazel crouched down and slid Sirzechs' into his arms, hoisting him up onto his shoulder with a grunt as he spoke.

"In Kokabiel's last moments…it seemed as if he was glad that he was going to die." Azazel forced a wry smile onto his face as he adjusted Sirzechs' position on his shoulder.

"I see…I hope he had a good life if he was prepared to die like that… Thank you."

"There's no need to thank me."

"No, I must thank you because you eased my mind. Anyway, it's about time I get going. I have paperwork to fill out, idiots to talk to and things to think about."

"You're leaving so soon?" I asked, dismayed that he was leaving so soon. I mean, I just met him and I have things I want to discuss with him, such as me regaining my wings.

"Yes I am, Raynare. Oh, also, if you want to know, Issei has my approval." My face flushed once more, Issei doing the same as Azazel chuckled to himself. He waved at us and offered us a farewell before he disappeared into a magical circle.

"So, Raynare…wanna go out for lunch?" I glanced up at the human that stood beside me and slapped him on the back of his head, my cheeks still red as I turned away from him with folded arms.

"You're an idiot."

* * *

 **No, Raynare is not a tsundere. Writing a tsundere character will be the death of me, so don't expect one to appear anytime soon. Also, a rather quick update. Yay…why can't I always upload daily? Oh, wait, it's because I love to procrastinate! Haha…! I really need to get more hobbies…! Also, is the pacing a bit…weird in this chapter? Maybe some lines seem unnatural? I tried my best to make it flow well, but if it seems weird I have no excuses.**

 **Thank you for reading World's End! I hope you're all satisfied with the ending to this arc (is it a mini-arc?) because I'm heading into the real meat of the story on a few chapters! I hope you're looking forward to it!**


	14. Chapter 14

"Sitri is a Great Prince of Hell, and reigns over sixty legions of demons. He causes men to love women and vice versa, and can make people bare themselves naked if desired. He is depicted with the face of a leopard and the wings of a griffin, but under the conjurer's request he changes into a very beautiful man." Issei stared at the short girl that sat at the desk opposite him, his gaze hard and discerning. The girl stared back through her glasses, daring Issei to say more about her ancestor through her glare, and sighed.

"Do you have anything else to say, Hyoudou?" She finally muttered, glancing at the raven haired girl that stood next to her human visitor.

"You're not a beautiful man," Issei started, shoving a finger in Sona's direction as he spoke, "nor do you have the face of a leopard or the wings of a griffin. The Ars Goetia…dammit!" Issei turned his head to the side with a huff as he crossed his arms, his words barely audible as he spoke to himself. "I really wanted to see a version of you that had a leopard face…"

"A version of me that has a leopard face?" Sona repeated Issei's words, scrunching her face up in distaste as she could not comprehend what Issei meant when he said he wanted to see another version of her.

"Yeah. You're a Sitri, right? If you don't have the physical properties, you must have the powers, right?" Issei's hands were in the deepest recesses of his pockets as every muscle in his body relaxed at once.

"Not necessarily…and I'm interested in how you know of this information, Hyoudou." Sona folded her hands in front of her face as she stared at the human, her eyes slowly drifting to the Fallen Angel that silently stood by his side. "And I'm interested in why you've brought a Fallen Angel to my school."

"Your school?" Issei quietly exhaled through his nose in amusement, a wry smile spreading across his face, "As far as I know, you're only the Student Council President. Nothing more, nothing less." Sona clicked her tongue in mild annoyance as Issei's statement was true; she was nothing but the Student Council President on paper.

Sona pushed her glasses up the bridge of her nose with a slight frown, "And what of this Fallen Angel?" Sona glanced at Raynare and held back a sneer, waiting for Issei to respond. Instead of Issei stepping forward to answer the question, Issei gently pushed Raynare out in front of him. "You are?"

"My name is Raynare. It's nice to make your acquaintance, Sona of the Sitri clan." Raynare bowed at the waist, her body angled at ninety degrees as she briefly stared down at the floor. "I have a request that only you could fulfil," Raynare continued as she lifted her body, a hand brushing a few strands of her off of her face, "and I was hoping you could grant me the opportunities it would present."

"What is this request?" Sona simply asked as she leaned forward, folding her hands against her desk as she leaned on it.

"May I enrol in this school?"

"No." Was Sona's curt response, her hand swiftly and gracefully pushing her glasses up the bridge of her nose one more. Raynare glanced back at Issei with a frown as if she was asking him to intervene, but a grin and a wink from her human benefactor forced a sigh of disappointment out of her.

"Is it because I'm a Fallen Angel?" Raynare asked with arms folded under her bust as she stared at the Devil in front of her, an indifferent look on the Sitri's face.

"Why do I have to explain myself to you?" Issei sighed and ran a hand down his face.

"So you're a massive prick in this timeline, huh? First time I've encountered a major difference in an important person…" He muttered to himself, striding over to Sona's desk without a single care in the world. "Listen up, sex fiend, as I'm about to teach you a lesson! And it's not on school wide orgies, either!" Sona scrunched her nose up in distaste as she stared up at Issei.

"Sex fiend? Who are you calling a sex fiend, you deviant? And what do you mean by school orgies, you pervert?" Sona stood up as Issei leaned over her desk, his face inches away from hers as the rage inside of her slowly started to bubble.

"Well, you are a Sitri, after all. Being a sex obsessed leopard thing is in your nature." Sona grinded her teeth together as she quietly growled, her anger spilling over the metaphorical edges as the human in front of her dared to insult her. "Oh, but does being a sex fiend come with a guaranteed arrogance and a short temper? I've forgotten. Or maybe it's because you're the Student Council President and the heir to the Sitri clan?"

Sona's hands shot towards Issei's collar, however, as she swore she felt the fine fabric of his blazer on her fingertips, her hands were being held behind her back, her head being pinned to her desk in a similar fashion with her eyes staring at the wall, "You…" Sona growled, her arms struggling to squirm under Issei's onehanded grip.

Issei lowered his head, his mouth next to Sona's ear as he smirked, his eyes occasionally glancing up at Raynare, "Does arrogance work for you when you're clearly outmatched?"

"You…! Do you know who I am!?" Sona attempted to lift her head off of the desk, managing to create a few centimetres of space of air between her head and the hard wood before a sharp, splitting pain pierced her skull. Issei had slammed her head back into the desk, face first, forcing the glass of her glasses to shatter from the force. "I'm Sona of the Sitri clan! You're messing with the wrong person, you human scum!"

"Human scum, huh?" Issei pulled Sona's head back and twisted her head at the neck, watching as her spiteful glare bore holes in his body with imaginary daggers. "Are you really in a position to say that?" Sona spat at Issei's face and recoiled as her bodily fluid vanished with a small sizzle, the faint smell of smoke penetrating her senses for a mere moment.

"Let go of me."

"Hmmm, why should I? I'm a powerful person which means _I_ deserve to be arrogant and have a short temper. But I'm not. You wanna know why?" Issei let go of Sona and twisted her around with a flick of his wrist before he gently forced her into her chair, both beings assuming their original positions as if nothing had happened. However, that did not stop Sona's rage in its path. "Because I do things like this." Issei stepped back next to Raynare and held a hand on her head, a sigh escaping her lips as she drooped her shoulders in relief as the seemingly dangerous atmosphere had died down.

"What's so special about her?" Sona asked quickly and quietly, pulling her glasses off of her face with a scowl, staring at the jagged glass that remained in the frame.

"Powerless, less than a Fallen Angel, nothing." Sona glanced up at the Fallen Angel and noticed the gloomy look on her face as Raynare had been reminded of her current situation. Without power, without the wings that made her a Fallen Angel, without the things that made her _her_ , she was truly nothing.

And she had forgotten that, if only for a brief moment in her life.

"So there's nothing special about her?" Sona dropped the frame of her glasses on her desk and stared up at Issei, Sona's distaste making itself known as she furrowed her brow with a frown, "Stop wasting my time."

"Oh, there isn't anything special about her. But what I did to her is." Sona rose an eyebrow in response.

"And what did you do?"

"Oh, I casually tore her wings off with my bare hands and sealed her magic." Sona was indifferent to Issei's words, though, and started to inspect her nails with an even deeper frown. "And it was because of my arrogance. My power, my past…they made me arrogant in a crucial moment that could have been solved in many different ways."

"And? What does this have to do with me? I'm still not letting _her_ ," Sona raised her eyes and stared at Raynare, "into _my_ school. No matter what you do, that's not changing." Issei sighed and lowered his head, folding his arms against his chest.

"You just don't get it, do you? You're supposed to be smart, right? You're supposed to be intelligent, yet you're stupid." Sona slammed her hands against her desk, cutting her hands on the many shards of glass that littered it, and jumped to her feet.

"You dare to call me stupid? Who the hell are you?" Issei smirked as he straightened his posture, shoving his hands into the recesses of his pockets.

"Someone who can kill you, obviously."

"Oh, a challenge?"

"If you think this is a challenge, you really are stupid." A tendril of water wrapped around Issei's neck in a flash.

"Would you say more if you're in no position to speak? I can easily snap your neck." Issei chuckled and winked as the water disappeared in an instant, a cloud of steam replacing it as it evaporated.

"What will you snap my neck with, Sona?"

"Water." Issei clapped his hands together with a wide smile.

"Did you know that the composition of water should, in theory, not be able to be snap someone's neck?" This time, it was Sona's turn to have a tendril of water wrapped around her neck, a tight pressure slowly applying itself to her windpipe as the seconds passed by her. "But, because magic exists, I can literally fuck over the laws of the universe and do whatever I want. Now, will you do what I say?" Sona couldn't respond with her words; she nod her head in response while clawing at her throat, her hands passing through the tendril of water as if it was air, face turning red from a lack of oxygen. "Good. Aren't you just a nice, obedient Devil?"

The water's strength disappeared as quickly as it came, drenching Sona's torso as it let gravity control it. "You…what do you want?"

"Let Raynare join this school."

* * *

Chiharu glanced down at her phone to check the time.

Two hours.

It had been two hours since Issei had left her standing on the street. The smoke from the building had died down long ago, all was quiet and the police were in the middle of their investigation. All students had been sent home, other than the injured few, and all staff had joined her on the street for questioning.

"Is the school going to close down, sir?" Chiharu asked a male teacher that had decades of experience under his belt. The man glanced at Chiharu, saw the destruction that had taken place and sighed, shaking his head.

"I'm not sure, Chiharu. We'll have to wait and see." Chiharu lowered her head with her mouth in the shape of an 'o'.

"That's not…yes, sir." Chiharu's mutter was almost inaudible, her worry being lost in the hubbub of the small crowd that had gathered. The corners of her senior's lips turned up as he planted a hand on Ciharu's head, slowly massaging her skull in an attempt to console her.

"It'll be alright…I'm sure of it."

But Chiharu didn't think it would be alright.

* * *

…

The house was dead silent. There was not a sound, nor was there any movement, despite its inhabitants. I, Raynare, lay still in this bed, staring up at the ceiling as the moon shone onto my body through the gaps in the curtains.

I lay absolutely still, not daring to wake the human that lay next to me.

I quietly rolled over and stared at his face, noticing how peaceful he appeared to be. His lips were slightly agape, his chest visibly rising with each breath he took, his eyelids barely closed, eyelashes fluttering every so often as if he was blinking, brow slightly raised.

He looked absolutely peaceful in his undisturbed slumber.

I, however, could not find it in me to sleep. For the past week, I haven't been able to fall asleep. All of my regrets, all of my horrendous actions, what Issei did to me…they play like an automatic video behind my eyelids as I attempt to sleep.

But it's useless.

No matter what I do to change it, no matter what I think about to change it, these videos do not stop playing. These memories, these accursed images that won't leave me, haunt me with each passing night.

The only way I manage to fall asleep is if I accidentally close my eyes from exhaustion.

But that techniques has its limits. With each night that passes, I fall asleep at a later time than the last. My body clock has been destroyed by this insomnia and it will not be repaired until I conquer these dreadful memories.

Tonight isn't the night to do that, though.

I'm too scared to remove these memories, even though they cause me so much pain.

I couldn't live with myself if I couldn't atone for the past.

So I wish to sleep, hoping that I drown myself in these memories that will forever haunt my mind…

…

The rustling of cloth was heard in the room, snapping me out of my deathly trance. My exhaustion cleared, if only temporarily if the sound was trivial, and my mind was awake. The memories left me as I sat up.

"That sound…" My whisper pierced the silence as I scanned the room in an attempt to find the source of the noise. But the room was black. It was pitch black. A cesspool of darkness that would not let me see anything bar the small slivers of bedding that the moonlight gave me. "It's nothing…?"

I quietly sighed and lowered my body back onto the mattress, closing my eyes once more as a wave of weakness overcame me. My body feeling weak, my mind heavy, I heard the distant muttering of voices as I fell into a deep, dreamless sleep that I wish I wouldn't wake up from.

The memories came back to haunt me.

* * *

 **A deep, dreamless sleep, huh? Kinda…sad, if you ask me. Anyway, I'm back from my very own deep, dreamless sleep. Except in this sleep, it involved not writing and procrastinating. Yeah, sorry for taking five/six weeks to update the story. I mean it. Also, the first major character difference! Finally! After…seven or eight months and thirteen chapters, it's finally been done! How does this affect the relationship between characters? I don't know (I actually do)!**

 **Next chapter involves drama, betrayal and a wish!? Stay tuned for next 'week's' chapter of World's End!**

 **Seriously, though, I do try to find the time to update this story weekly. Everyone knows how that's working out, though…but, to make up for my laziness, a side story chapter should come out in a day or two!**

 **Anyway, thank you for reading and following the production of World's End!**


	15. Chapter 15: Side Story 1: Sitri's Dream

The sun was setting.

I sat on the edge of the fountain next to my crush, Kurumi, while staring at the dying oranges of the sun. The lamps of the park flickered into existence, barely illuminating anything as the sun overwhelmed their light. The staircase in front of us wasn't steep, but it represented the journey I took to come this far.

Today was the day I would tell her my feelings.

Kurumi…she is the love of my life. We may be young and in high school, sharing most of our classes, but I know for sure that I want to be with her for the rest of my life. Her long black hair, her large onyx eyes, her soft, cherry red lips…I want all of it to be mine. I want all of it to be mine not because of her beauty, but because of my unrequited love for her.

"Kazu…what did you bring me out here for? I know we were sent home early today because of the explosion in the school, but…it's kinda late." I swallowed the lump that had formed in my throat, turning to stare into her shining eyes. My eyes traced the edge of her pale face instead, following every deviation in her skin, every blemish and pore, and everything that made her…well, her.

"Kurumi, the truth is…I have loved you for a long time." Her pale cheeks flushed red in an instant as she looked away, staring at the dying sunset. "The events that occurred today have confirmed my feelings for you. Either of us could have died and it made me realise that, if I want to live, I should live without any regrets." She smiled faintly, the corners of her lips curling up as she turned back to face me.

"Kazu, I…I'm sorry, but I…"

"It's okay. You don't need to say anymore. I understand. I just wanted to tell you so I could get this feeling out of my chest." I pushed myself to my feet as I looked away, beginning to make my painful journey home as the tears began to drown my eyes with their sorrow.

I was living without any regrets, but that doesn't mean it doesn't hurt.

"W-wait, Kazu!" I felt a hand grab my own, forcing me to stop as I began to leave that wretched fountain, the place where my feelings had been crushed by the only girl I have ever loved. I twisted my torso to face her, the tears blurring my vision as they threatened to spill out onto my cheeks, and I opened my mouth to say something, anything, but nothing came out. "I…I can't accept your feelings right now, but I can in the future. When we graduate at the end of the year, I want you to ask me again. I will definitely accept then. I promise. Because I've realised that I also love you." I sniffled and rubbed the tears away with my free hand, turning to embrace my one and only love…

"Wait, you can't be satisfied with that crappy ending, can you!? You idiots!" All of a sudden, a hideous creature descended from a nearby tree. With the face of a leopard, the wings of a griffin and the body of a small girl, the hideous creature jumped between Kurumi and I and pushed us away from each other.

"W-what the…?" I shouted as I stumbled back towards the fountain, my eyes wider than they've ever been in my life. "What the hell are you?"

The thing turned toward me and offered me a grin of some kind, its hands on its hips as a boisterous laugh echoed throughout the park, "I am Sitri, and I am here to make the two of you love each other indefinitely! I am the granter of romantic, lewd and mostly sexy wishes!"

"Huh? What does that even mean?" Kurumi asked, slowly shimmying around Sitri towards me.

"Well, firstly, you guys love each other, right?" I slowly nod as did Kurumi, our eyes making contact for a brief moment. As Sitri turned to face Kurumi, I raised a hand and motioned to the stairs, shoving a thumb in their direction while mouthing the sentence, 'I think we should get away from this creep.'

She didn't respond, opting to glance at the stairs in what I assumed was a response, intently watching Sitri as she did so, "Yes…I think so." Kurumi said slowly, edging closer towards the staircase at a speed that was similar to a turtle's.

"Then, shouldn't you guys get naked and make love to each other?" Kurumi's face became red in an instant as did mine, Kurumi's mouth opening and closing in an effort to mutter a response.

"W-what kind of hooligan would do such a thing in public?" She finally managed to squeak out, her hands now covering her face as she quietly groaned in embarrassment. Sitri, on the other hand, was giggling to herself, as she suddenly spun to face me.

I hadn't moved at all because I was closest to the stairs, but I suddenly found myself with no way to run without being completely obvious. "You there!" I pointed at myself and she nod, her index finger aimed at me. "Do really love this girl!?"

"Yes!" I answered quickly, hoping that Sitri would turn around or disappear. Although I loved Kurumi, I didn't love her enough to want to die for her because some weird leopard-human-griffin thing was being creepy.

"Then I need to go! My mission here is done!" Sitri disappeared as quickly as she had come, leaving Kurumi and I alone once more.

Kurumi's face was still red, showing that she was extremely embarrassed, and it showed no signs of returning to its original colour, "I-it's kind of hot all of a sudden, isn't it?" She asked me, slowly pulling her arms out of the sleeves of her blazer. I furrowed my brow in response, noting that Kurumi was sweating and shook my head, still trying to comprehend what had just happened.

"No, it's not. Are you okay, Kurumi? That Sitri thing didn't do anything to you, did they?" Kurumi dropped her blazer on the floor and released a sharp exhale of air.

"No, they didn't. They didn't touch me. But it's kinda hot... _I'm_ feeling kind of hot…and kind of bothered." Kurumi strode over to me and, as she was a head shorter than me, grabbed me by my tie and pulled my head down to her level. "Say…should we do it?" It was my face's turn to become completely red.

"W-what are you saying all of a sudden? Just before, didn't you say that doing it in public was something a hooligan would do?" Kurumi laughed, her voice a sweet melody to my ears as I felt my body temperature rising.

"Do you really care?" I felt her lips touch mine as she forcefully kissed me, sticking her tongue into the deepest recesses of my mouth as she seemed to quiver under my touch. Her tongue retreated moments later, her lips disconnecting from mine as she gasped for air.

"I…I don't think I care anymore." I whispered as I buried my head into her neck, gracing her smooth skin with the touch of my lips. She moaned, gripping a handful of my hair as I continued to kiss her on the neck, my lips slowly travelling up her body.

"So…do you wanna do it?" I glanced up into Kurumi's eyes and noticed how she was biting her lip, my cheeks heating up as I was suddenly overcome with emotion.

"Let's do it. Definitely." Kurumi stepped back as she began to unbutton her shirt. Her breasts weren't small or large, they were just right for me and, as she slid her shirt off of her body with a shrug of her shoulders, revealing her black bra that was laced with white, I couldn't help but get excited.

"Oh…Kazu, you seem to be…" I swallowed a lump of saliva and chuckled as I stepped close to Kurumi, fiddling with the zipper of her skirt as I lowered my head to kiss the side of one of her breasts. She moaned, helping me with the zipper of her skirt, and moaned again as her skirt fell to the floor.

I grasped one of her breasts, lightly squeezing it through her bra, and wrapped my arms around her, failing to unhook the clasp. "Wait…I want you to see me as I do it." Kurumi moaned in my ear, stepping back a moment later as I intently waited for her to reveal her two, luscious lumps of flesh.

Her hands reached up her back, her hands swiftly going through some motions, until she shrugged her shoulders forward, the straps of her bra falling down her arms. And as she was about to completely take it off…

"Damn kids!" A police officer came out of nowhere and was running towards us! Kurumi snatched her clothes up with one hand, holding them against her chest to protect her modesty, and allowed me to grab her hand as I began to run, leading her out of the park!

"Dammit, and we were just getting into it…" Kurumi muttered as we entered the street, the police officer still chasing us.

* * *

"Nice job, Tsubaki!" Sitri shouted as she spun around in a circle, waving her arms around. Tsubaki, Sitri's Queen, watched on in embarrassment as her King acted like a complete idiot, a stark contrast to her other self that has become arrogant and ill-tempered through the misuse of her Sitri powers.

"President Sona…" Sitri shot Tsubaki a sharp glare, "Apologies. Sitri, may you remind me of why you do this?" Sitri stood still, wobbling from dizziness and disorientation, and held her hands on her hips, puffing her chest out with pride.

"I'll tell you once more, so you shouldn't forget it again, okay!?" Tsubaki hesitantly nodded and watched as Sitri walked circles around her, "I do this to achieve the ultimate goal of my ancestor! 'What is that goal?', you may be asking! Well, it's to create a schoolwide orgy, of course!"

There was a deafening silence in the clearing.

Tsubaki blinked owlishly.

Sitri grinned.

"E-excuse me…?" Sitri's jaw dropped.

"Huh!? You didn't get it the first time?" Tsubaki waved her hands in front of her face.

"No, I did! I did! But…why did you choose today and why do you want to create a…umm…" Tsubaki's face flushed red as she struggled to articulate the remainder of her message.

"Schoolwide orgy?" Tsubaki nod once as she quietly sighed, looking away in embarrassment as her King's behaviour and speech was undeniably atrocious. "It's to achieve the goal of my ancestor. He didn't specifically mention a schoolwide orgy in his ancient texts, but he wants to create the _biggest orgy_ he possibly could! And I'm gonna fulfil that goal! As to why I chose today? People are afraid, Tsubaki, and want someone to comfort each other in their time of need! This is the perfect time for me to work and naturally make people unconditionally love each other!"

"So you _do_ have a high level of intelligence in this form…" Tsubaki muttered to herself as Sitri ran up to her.

"Also, I'm counting on you to show everyone how to do it properly when the time comes!"

"Wait, I never knew I was included in this, you pervert!"

"But you have relatively large boobs!"

"That doesn't mean I know how to do it!"

"Gasp! Then you're a _virgin_ , Tsubaki? Dammit, how could you betray my trust?"

"Hah!? How is this betraying your trust, you idiot? Just because I'm a Devil, it doesn't mean I have to whore myself off to every guy I see!"

"Yes it does! You just don't understand it, Tsubaki!"

" _I_ don't understand it!? I take it back, you have absolutely _no intelligence_ in this form!"

"I'm not stupid! You're stupid, Tsubaki, so go find some man to take your first time! Oh, I know! How about Issei Hyoudou!? He's pretty strong, so he'll show you how to have a good time! He'll pierce your body with his Sexcalibur and deliver his divine punishment with his holy water! Well, he's not actually an Angel or priest, but you get the idea!"

"You damn pervert!"

An unbelievably loud _slap_ echoed throughout the entire park.

* * *

 **Just a little side story I came up with to explain Sona's situation. Well, I didn't exactly reveal all of her goals and motives and what's wrong with her. Just a little bit of what she wants to do…**

 **Also, I am determined to release a legit chapter every one or two weeks on a Monday! If an update doesn't come out on the first week, expect it to come out the next! Although, I may release chapters earlier than intended, so please don't get mad if I do that. I also want to release more side stories along with the main story. They could be anything and may not be very long, just like this chapter that hasn't been paced very well.**

 **A big thank you to my friend Hellsender for giving me the idea for this side story and Sona's ultimate goal!**


	16. Chapter 16

A long, drawn out sigh left Issei as he opened his eyes.

He sat up, rubbing an eye with a hand, and groggily glanced around the room, noticing how unusually dark the room was. He narrowed his eyes as he slid out of his bed, suspicion forming as the carpeted floor was cold to the touch.

'Is there someone here?' He thought, slowly clenching and unclenching his fists as he stood still, not willing to move from his spot. 'The room is unusually dark and I…sense something.'

There was a sharp exhale from inside the darkness as Issei hardened his gaze, the human barely making out the silhouette of the hooded figure that stood a mere foot away from him. "Shit…" The figure muttered, their voice deep and husky, a hand reaching out to grab something that was attached to their waist.

Issei winced in pain as a dagger slashed his throat open, blood spurting out as if it was a grand fountain in a park. It drenched everything it touched, including the figure in front of Issei, and had a foul, metallic scent.

"I was hoping to kill you in your sleep," the figure muttered as they stepped into the light, pushing Issei onto his bed as Issei clawed at his throat, choking and gasping for air, "but I had no other choice." The figure, whom was dressed in a black cloak that concealed their features, raised their dagger into the air, poised and ready to sink his weapon into the throat of his next victim. "So don't blame me. Blame the person who sent me."

His knife fell through the air faster than the eye could see.

Instead of piercing the flesh of next victim Raynare, it sunk into the feathery inside of a pillow. The figure visibly recoiled, his body becoming tense as his grip on his knife hardened.

Raynare was gone from her position on the bed.

"So you're awake now, huh?" The figure drawled, grip still tightening on the hilt of his knife. His arm flew through the air at an incredible speed as he pivoted his body at the torso, following through as he spun on his feet.

But he hit nothing but air, the blood that had already stained the dagger shooting through the air in an arc. The sound of Issei's blood fountain spraying everywhere quickly died out, the only sounds being the figure's slow breathing and the minute dripping of blood.

"Where…?" The figure whispered to himself, glancing around the bloodied room with narrowed eyes. "Where did you go, little girl?" The figure stepped forward, knife held in front of them as they cautiously approached the wardrobe. "Come on out, little girl. I promise I won't hurt you." He drawled, his free hand reaching out to grasp the handle of the door.

He flung the door open, knife raised above his head as a grin spread across his face, his expectations rising as time seemed to slow down. "I've found you!"

There was no one in the wardrobe. There was no traces of anyone being in the wardrobe.

The figure clicked his tongue in disappointment, "So you're not in the wardrobe. Where are you, then?" The figure silently closed the door as he talked to himself, a quiet chuckle leaving his lips as he spun around to further search the room.

However, as he stepped forward to move through the room, he stopped and glanced at the blood drenched bed to admire his work. But his heart sunk as he realised something.

Issei's body was no longer there.

It disappeared just like Raynare had.

"That body…what the hell? Where did it go?" The figure muttered, gripping the hilt of their dagger with deathly white knuckles, rapidly glancing around the room in an attempt to find any signs of Issei's body moving. "Where? I must know where it went! Dammit, is that guy still alive?!"

"Hoh…do you want to know how where I went? I'm right here." Chills ran down the figure's spine as they slowly turned around at the torso. Issei stood on the spot, uninjured and with a wide smile that betrayed the fierce look in his eyes. "Why would an assassin want to know where the body of their victim went, anyway?"

"Just shut up and die!" The assassin lunged at Issei and thrust their dagger towards his chest, the blade piercing his fragile body without any resistance. Issei simply grinned in response as he struggled to hold back a pained expression..

"That really hurts, you know. Although I may be immortal," Issei grabbed the wrist of the assassin and twisted it to the side, shattering all of the bones in an instant, "this kind of stuff still hurts really badly." Issei yanked the dagger out of his body as the assassin fell onto their knees, grasping their deformed wrist as they screamed in pain.

"You…dammit, why won't you die…?" The assassin managed to mutter through grit teeth, his breathing laboured as he stared down at the ground. Issei chuckled in response, fiddling with the dagger that was stained with his own blood, treating the assassin in a way that one would treat dirt.

"Immortality really sucks for those who share your occupation." Issei inspected the dagger as he spoke, tracing every square inch of the weapon with his eyes.

"Immortality? Heh…don't mess with me!" The assassin pounced at Issei from their kneeling position and held his uninjured hand out to grab Issei by the neck, an animalistic instinct overtaking him as he was determined to fight for his survival.

"Don't mess with you, huh?" Issei mumbled as he pointed the dagger at the assassin's form, the assassin's eyes widening as fear overcame him in an instant. "Too bad for you, then."

The dagger pierced the figure's hood and eye, forcing them to scream out in pain. Issei yanked the dagger out of assassin's eye, pushed them into the wall and held the dagger out to the side, blood dripping from the tip as Issei apathetically stared at the trembling form of the whimpering assassin.

"How…unfortunate." Issei said as he lowered his arm, staring down at the pitiful form of the assassin. "I know Sirzechs' sent you; it was obvious from the beginning, but I had to make sure you weren't just an ordinary thief. So, knowing that, what should I do with you?" The assassin shuddered as Issei spoke and curled up into a ball, their head cradled in their bloody hands.

The scent of iron permeated the room.

"…Sorry…I'm sorry…sorry…" The assassin's whispers were barely audible as he cowered under Issei's emotionless stare. "Please don't kill me…please…don't kill me…it hurts…it hurts…" Issei sighed and tossed the dagger to the side as he crouched down to the assassin's level.

"I really pity you right now." Issei spoke as if his statement was a widely renowned fact. "So I'm offering you two choices…"

"It hurts…I want to die…please kill me…"

"Die here, cold and alone while fulfilling the code of an assassin, or…"

Issei's door flung open with a loud bang.

He instinctively glanced up at the doorway.

"Well…shit…" Issei muttered to himself as his parents hesitantly entered his room.

* * *

I held a hand over my mouth as I yawned.

It was fairly early in the morning and I was on my way to school, Issei stumbling around beside me as he struggled to stay awake. Every now and again, I had to elbow him in the ribs to stop him from falling onto his face, but I didn't mind.

It was all because of what happened last night…

I didn't wake up during the whole scuffle, but from what I had heard from Issei, an assassin had infiltrated my new home and was planning on murdering him in his sleep with me being collateral damage. However, that didn't go as planned as Issei managed to fight off the assassin, stabbing him in the eye with his own weapon.

If I had to be honest, I didn't wake up until the police arrived. Even then, I woke up on a couch in the lounge, a different spot from where I had fallen asleep…

Apparently, someone from a neighbouring house had heard the screams of the assassin and various sounds that would indicate someone was being murdered and had called the police. What the police would do with a supernatural assassin that managed to sneak into a house that had Issei in it was something I didn't care about, but as long as they were locked away for the rest of their life, I was happy.

And, because the police had shown up, everyone had to recount what they had seen in regards to the incident and that took a while…needless to say, they also took Issei down to the station for questioning and whatnot and that left me alone for the remainder of the night.

"Issei, is the school even open today? Didn't Sirzechs and Azazel destroy it yesterday?" As we continued to walk through the quiet streets, Issei's eyelids started to droop as he blankly stared at me. He quickly rubbed his eyes, straightened his back and sighed, shoving both of his hands into his pockets.

"The Student Council can do amazing things. Besides, your uniform wouldn't be sitting on the doorstep if school wasn't on today, would it?" I huffed in annoyance, realising that what he said was true. Knowing that the Student Council was full of Devils, wouldn't I have faith in their ability to restore the school overnight?

"Will anyone turn up, though?"

"I dunno." Issei quickly responded, turning a corner with a yawn. "After yesterday, even if the principal told everyone to come to school, I think a lot of parents won't let their kids go. Fear and all of that." I lowered my head in understanding, knowing that what Issei said made a lot of sense.

Fear consumes humans, it changes the way they think and it ruins their world. I don't have any experience dealing with humans who were consumed by fear, but if I think about what would be running through their mind, it's unusually easy to imagine how they'd act.

"I wouldn't worry about it, though." Issei planted a hand on my head, knowing that it would annoy me, and cracked a smirk as he peered at me. "The less people there are, the better it is for you, right?"

I sighed and pulled Issei's hand off of my head, "I don't want to deal with a bunch of annoying, hormonal teens, so yes, it is. They'll still make me mad, though…"

"Well, you're going to have to get used to it sooner or later."

Issei stopped in his tracks as he finished speaking, his whole body still as he narrowed his eyes. I, who had continued walking like an idiot, turned around and planted my hands on my hips.

"What are you doing?" There was a brief pause as Issei slowly observed his surroundings, his eyes drifting from rooftops to light posts and back to the rooftops.

"Raynare, I need you to listen to me." I sighed and began to make my way to his side. "Stop. Don't move any closer." I stopped in the middle of a step, tilting my head to the side in confusion.

"Issei, what are you doing?" I called out, hands on hips once more.

"Raynare, I need you to run. Right now. Find your way to the school and stay there. Even if it's closed, the Student Council should be there and they will protect you."

"Huh? What, why?"

"Just go."

"Tell me why I should and then I might go."

"Oh, for fucks sake, Raynare!" In an instant, I had been tackled to the floor.

A thin, black object flew through the space where my head was, piercing the exterior wall of a nearby house instead of my brain.

I glanced at the object, quickly looked at my surroundings and noticed that I couldn't see anyone.

"Is someone attacking us?" I muttered, pushing myself to my feet. Issei was already on his feet, his eyes tracing the nearby rooftops once more in an attempt to discover our assailant.

"I don't know. And that's why you should run."

I could agree with Issei this time so, as he continued to peer at the rooftops, I turned tail and ran as fast as my weak, human body could, running as far from Issei as I could. I ran until I was out breath and I ran until I could hear the sounds of a fierce battle in the distance and I ran until I could no longer run.

Eventually, I stopped to catch my breath, a hand planted against a wall in an effort to support my body, "Dammit…I'm so unfit…" I straightened my posture, making an effort to pace my laboured breath and started to walk, one hundred percent sure that I would not be caught in the conflict.

A figure appeared in front of me without any sounds or environmental disturbances.

"Dammit. Did I just curse myself?" I muttered as I raised my hands, prepared to fight.

If this figure could appear in front of me the way they did, running would be pointless. Fighting would also be pointless, but it's the only thing I could do…

"You," I called out, sliding a foot back as I entered an extremely rough fighting stance, "what do you want with me?"

Instead of responding with words, they responded with their brutish actions.

I didn't even move before they had attacked me; faster than I could think, they had shoved a blade that was long as my arm and as thick as my torso into my stomach, lifting me up into the air to shove the blade further into my body.

A scream escaped my lips, as did a mouthful of blood.

A hot, burning pain spread throughout my body as I slid down the blade, my body going limp as all of my energy evaporated in an instant. Even if I had the energy to move, I wouldn't want to as it hurt to exist.

Breathing was painful, moving was painful and living was painful.

There was too much pain for me to handle and, as the attacker flung their blade out to the side, tossing me off of their sword and into a brick wall, my pain increased tenfold, my body contorting and twisting in an effort to relieve itself of what would eventually kill me.

The blood poured out of my midsection in a steady, limited flow that stained my clothes, body and the road I lay on, my liquid of life slowly bringing me the cold, emptiness of death that I was not prepared to welcome.

After a few moments of excruciating pain that distorted my sense of time, seconds becoming millennia, I breathed my last breath and saw my last sight, the words of my killer falling on my now deaf ears.

"This is your punishment for associating yourself with that man."

Cold.

Death is so cold.

I lay still as my body became cold in the empty street.

* * *

 **Well, that just happened…a moment of silence for Raynare, if you will? Wait, actually, it's not confirmed if she actually dies yet! Well, she did get jabbed by a long, thick, metallic thing. We'll see if she dies in the next chapter. Cliffhanger? Certainly!**

 **Now, have fun with waiting for the next chapter!**

 **Thank you for reading World's End!**


	17. Chapter 17

It was as if time had frozen.

The me that had been killed had stopped moving and the light had returned to my world. My body would not move, but I was alive in the sense that I was consciously active. I could think, I could ponder and I could wonder about what was going to happen to me now.

I was alone in the street, lying in a puddle of my own blood, and was physically dead. I couldn't feel anything, after all. I was literally staring up at the sky, not feeling anything but thinking. It was a strange, unexplainable sensation that left a feeling of dread inside the remainders of my soul.

But I was alive, was I not?

Or was this my punishment as a Fallen Angel?

Maybe this is the purgatory that people seem to be obsessed with.

But as the space in front of me twisted and warped, a portal of sorts spinning into existence as if the surrounding space did not exist, I was forced to think twice. I was forced to reconsider my current position and the state I was in.

This was because of the person that stepped out of the portal, the person that was almost an exact replica of Issei Hyoudou. I knew he was not the man I had come to know as the aura he emitted was not the one I was familiar with; instead of being complacent, relaxed and somewhat kind and carefree, this new aura was dark, heavy and filled with grief.

But the manic grin on the face of this Issei betrayed their aura. The way the corners of their lips turned up, barely revealing their teeth, the way their eyes were forced to close ever so slightly and the shallow dimples…

The Issei crouched down next to my battered body, observing every inch of it before his eyes met mine; he chuckled, running a hand down my cheek, before his face hardened in an instant. "Fallen Angel Raynare, huh? It's been a long time since I've played with one of you…"

Play? What does this guy mean by play?

I wanted to question his words, but I was unable to speak.

"So, to commemorate our _beloved_ reunion, should I take something of yours?" The hand that had eventually cupped my face began to trace my body, running along my chest. The hand stopped short of my lower half, a finger poking at the hole in my stomach.

A wide grin appeared on this Issei's face.

"I know! I can just take your soul, can't I? I can lock it up in a jar and keep you there forever! Just like so many other Raynares!" At this point, my body would have been shaking. I would have tried to run away. But I was unable to. And because I was unable to move, this Issei shoved his hand through my body as if it didn't exist and grasped something from within me, something that brought an excruciating phantom pain to my mind as he squeezed it with an iron grip.

"This is how I do it, if I remember correctly!" And, with a sharp pull of the hand, I was gone.

I was gone in a physical sense, as in I could see nothing, hear nothing and feel nothing.

"It's been too long since I've done something like this, so there's so much _fun_ to be had. Don't you think so too, Raynare?"

* * *

A slow, deep inhale.

A blazing inferno in the streets behind him.

As Issei stepped foot in a side street, a firetruck speeding past him with its sirens blaring, a shallow sigh escaped his lips, his newly established search for Raynare providing no promising results. Although his search was mostly unsuccessful with her presence being impossible to find, Issei was not worried about her as he thought she had escaped. Even though she had screamed a few minutes ago with any signs of her living disappearing, Issei was certain she had escaped because there was no way one of the Devil assassins would have had the opportunity to chase after her.

A second firetruck barrelled down the street as it drove towards the inferno.

While Issei acknowledged the fact that he was probably thinking illogically, he wouldn't acknowledge the piles of ashes and the charred bones he left in the street behind him. He didn't believe that it was his fault the Devils died. After all, they _were_ the ones that had attacked him first and they were the ones that had ultimately led to Raynare's disappearance.

But a shred of doubt entered Issei's mind as he began to move again.

What if I let a Devil escape? What if there were some hiding outside the range that I'd be able to feel them? What if Raynare is…dead?

A frown formed on the young boy's face as he struggled to avoid those thoughts. Issei knew nothing good would come if he believed in them and, even though they were probably true, he refused to believe them. He'd only believe in them when he found Raynare's dead body.

However, he didn't know how he'd find her body. He couldn't sense any traces of her, he couldn't feel where she would roughly be and he couldn't physically find her. It was almost as if she had stopped existing.

"Raynare…where the hell did you go?" A thin, cool, metallic blade placed itself against Issei's neck.

"She's dead, just as you'll be."

"So you're her assassin, huh? This'll be very convenient for me, so I kindly ask for your cooperation."

* * *

"Grayfia, could you please help me get out of bed?"

"Your wish is my command, Miss Rias."

"I've told you before to not talk so formally to me. You're my sister-in-law, right?"

"Miss Rias, I am working right now. Therefore, I must treat you with the respect you deserve."

A childish pout fell onto my face as Grayfia smoothly deflected my request. Seeing the me that is unable to walk, I thought she would have at least respected this one wish I have had since I was a child but her denying me proves that she has no compassion whatsoever.

It's either that or I'm being too childish to see that Grayfia just wants to take care of me and make me feel as comfortable as possible. However, I will not embrace the full relaxation of my upper body if she does not treat me like I was her little sister.

Ah, I reminded myself of a bad thing again. I really need to stop that. Thinking about the lack of feeling in the entirety of my legs brings a bad pain to my heart so I really should stop thinking about it.

"I respect the fact that you want to do your job, Grayfia, but you could just call me 'Rias' without the 'Miss'." Grayfia sighed as she bent down to pick me up, a tired look falling onto her face for a brief moment.

"It's a part of my job." She said, the familiar, stoic expression returning with her words, "It's what maids are supposed to do." As I was lifted into the air and placed onto the wheelchair that sat beside my bed, I frowned for a brief moment as Grayfia's words did not make me happy. But, I wasn't concerned about my own happiness; I was concerned about the feelings of those around me as they seem to have been affected more than I have.

I mean, Raiser Phoenix was obliterated and I was…crippled…

Needless to say, I want to make Grayfia as happy as I can so I'll let her do her job just this once. But the next time she calls me 'Miss Rias' will be the last as I'll abuse my powers as her master to make her call me 'Rias'.

"Are you hungry, Miss Rias? Breakfast was served quite a while ago, but as you were asleep I did not bring any to you." I held a hand to my chin as I hummed in thought, contemplating on if I was actually hungry or not. Because I was unable to do exercise of any kind, I really have to watch what I eat as I don't want my figure to be affected by my gluttony.

"I'm not hungry at all. In fact, have you had breakfast, Grayfia?" The maid seemed to stare at me for a brief moment as a small smile slipped onto my face. "I know you've been by my side at all times and haven't been taking care of yourself. So, as your temporary master, I command you to eat breakfast and take care of yourself!" Grayfia seemed to be in shock as I pointed an accusatory finger at her, my small smile becoming a toothy grin faster than I thought it would.

Grayfia, recovering from her shock, quickly bowed her head and muttered a short, "As you wish, master," before she stepped behind my wheelchair. A mellow feeling rose into my chest as we entered the corridor and, as I briefly glanced at a nearby window, I saw the reflection of a small smile on Grayfia's face and the tears in her eyes.

…If my days are always like this, being a cripple for a while might be okay…

* * *

Issei crouched down next to Raynare's body and pressed the index and middle finger of his right hand against her neck, feeling no pulse and no signs of life other than the remaining warmth of her corpse. He sighed, cracking his knuckles, and stretched his arms out over her body, shaking them once and then twice to disperse any tension that may have been in them.

"Let's get to work!"

Multiple magical circles appeared above and below Raynare's body as Issei inspected the hole in her stomach, realising that that was where the assassin had stabbed her and that the hole was the ultimate cause of her death when not considering the giant pool of blood she was lying in.

"Now, I must fix the hole, restart the beating of the heart and replace the blood that was in her body."

The flesh around the hole slowly began to grow as the innards stitched themselves back together, the healing process of the body being accelerated by many times. The process still took quite a while and, as Raynare's milky skin finally protected the modesty of her insides, Issei sighed.

"This huge scar is no good…" Issei pulled his arm back, narrowing his eyes as he did so and quickly lowered his arm with another sigh. "If I don't pump some blood to the brain, she may suffer from brain damage so that takes priority…"

The magical circles that floated above and below Raynare disappeared in an instant as Issei knelt in the puddle of blood that had formed around her body. With one arm down by his side, the other tracing the area of flesh where the internal carotid arteries should be, Issei questioned if what he was about to do was the right thing to do.

Raynare was clinically dead and, although Issei had the power to bring her back to life without any lasting effects, Raynare's body had wounds that wouldn't be repaired by the developing medical science of the human world.

Issei quietly berated himself for suddenly thinking about the morality of his actions.

He was omnipotent. He had the power to do anything and everything. He possessed the body of an ordinary Issei and willingly changed the future. Yet he quietly lived day to day with Raynare by his side and…

"I'm such a fool…"

Why would he think about the morality of reviving the dead when he had already murdered countless amounts of people, changed the future and basically erased the existence of another Issei?

"…for thinking about such things."

His index finger pierced the internal carotid arteries, a thin stream of blood similar to Raynare's pouring out of his finger tip as he heavily sighed.

"What is happening to me? Ever since I entered the body of this Issei, I…" Issei sighed as the presence of ten Devils appeared in the surroundings. An eleventh one, a much stronger presence, appeared behind Issei and did not move for several moments.

"Please continue your monologue, Issei Hyoudou."

"I never thought I'd see you here of all places, Sirzechs."

"Well, you forced my hand when you killed most of my subordinates and set the neighbourhood on fire in the territory that I'm governing for a while."

"Does that mean you've come to evict me from my home?"

"No. I've come to capture and execute you."

"Can't you see I'm busy?"

"Resurrecting people that should be dead is not something you should do. What kind of morals do you have?"

"Does it look like I ever had any kind of morality in the first place? Besides, you're the one that sent an assassin to kill her."

"Touché."

"So, are you going to leave now?"

"You're in no position to ask me to leave, Hyoudou."

"Really?" Issei glanced at Sirzechs as blood began to spill out of Raynare's neck at a rapid rate.

"You're vulnerable. You're occupied with another task. I know that that Fallen Angel will die if you stop what you're doing."

"Ah, if only you weren't right." Sirzechs rose an eyebrow as Issei sighed for the umpteenth time that day.

"Are you admitting defeat?"

"Just because you're right, it doesn't mean you're correct."

"Are you trying to confuse me now?"

"Nope. I'm telling the truth."

"How is any of that truthful?"

"Because I don't have to go with you if I don't want to. As you have seen, my power far exceeds that of you and your forces so if I wanted to, I could kill you and the ten Devils you brought with you. However, as I'm sick and tired of being hunted down, I thought I'd get this over with."

"So you're going to come with me?" Issei pulled his hand out of Raynare's neck and watched as the skin around her neck rapidly healed, leaving no scars and no blemishes.

"Yes, but on one condition." A grin spread across Issei's face as he basked in the perfection of his healing.

"What may that be?"

"I get a fair trial."

"A fair trial…? You mean, with lawyers and judges in a courtroom?"

"Yes. But I want to be my own lawyer. And I want Raynare to be with me at all times as I don't trust you to keep her alive."

"Isn't that three conditions…?"

"Hmm? I don't know what you're talking about, you silly Devil! As far as I know, I never specified the exact details of that one condition."

Issei's shit-eating grin made Sirzechs want to punch the human's face in but, as Sirzechs knew he was in no position to deny Issei his requests with the human taking advantage of that fact, all he could do was tremble and shake on the inside while holding a faltering smile on the outside.

Sirzechs was truly pitiful in Issei's eyes.

* * *

 **Tada! I released a chapter! But it took me five weeks…I think… Oh well. Let bygones be bygones, yeah? To be honest, I had a bit of writer's block and overcame it by doing nothing for three weeks. The other two I was on a school break, so…it's justified?**

 **Deteriorating quality (in my opinion)? I've never heard of that fantasy!**

 **Thank you for reading World's End! If you leave lots of reviews, I'm sure I'll update faster (or not).**


	18. Chapter 18

"Ok, kids, it's time to review the past few weeks of work whether you like it or not!" A chorus of groans and sighs echoed around the room as I grinned at the class, all of my precious, adorable students pulling textbooks and notebooks from their bags while glaring daggers at me.

I would have chuckled just a little on any ordinary day as I love to tease my students, but the one empty seat in the class made my furrow my brow instead. That empty seat belonged to Issei, believe it or not, and, although he hated to pay attention in a lot of classes, mine excluded, and despised homework with a fiery passion, he never missed a day of school.

And, if I was being honest with myself, I was really concerned for his wellbeing. I mean, he went off to fight two supernatural beings that had the ability to destroy anything they wanted to. As I haven't even seen or heard of him after he ran off, I honestly thought he had died. However, because I am not the person to believe in someone's death until I have definitive proof, I'll have to keep on hoping that he returns to school.

As that train of thought was completed, the classroom door was slammed open and an unfamiliar little girl burst into the room. She was wearing the school uniform and, as she pushed her glasses up the bridge of her nose, I noticed the seriousness that was displayed on her face.

"Miss Chiharu Yamada, correct?" I nod once in response, staring into the girl's hard violet eyes while knowing that something bad had happened to my student.

"I am Chiharu, yes. But what business do you have with me, coming straight to my class…Shitori?" I wasn't sure if this small girl was the infamously harsh Sona Shitori as I somehow haven't seen her before, but her hard stare, serious expression and deep frown pretty much forced me to recognise her as such.

"Issei was captured by Sirzechs, that red-haired man you met the other day."

If the classroom wasn't already silent, all sound would have ceased to exist as if a vacuum of shocking news had suddenly been created.

"So something bad really did happen to that idiot, huh?"

* * *

"Rias, I have bad news." I pulled my head out of the fantasy novel I was reading and stared up at Grayfia, the maid protecting her modesty with a towel she held out in front of her. If I was shocked by seeing her immodest form, what shocked me more was the fact that her braids were undone. Well, actually, it was the fear on her face, not her appearance that shocked me, even though this dastardly, unseen form was new to me.

"Bad news? What do you mean by bad news?" Grayfia, although a little out of breath from some kind of running, showed no signs of fatigue and willingness to catch her breath as she happily told me of this bad news.

"Sirzechs has captured Issei Hyoudou." I physically recoiled and instantly gripped the armrests of my wheelchair so hard my knuckles turned white to cope with the shock and fury I felt. I wasn't angry at Issei because he wasn't the one that had hurt me. No, I was angry at Sirzechs because he went against my wishes and captured the one human I felt I could trust my life to.

"Grayfia, you're not kidding, right?" My sister-in-law rapidly shook her head from side to side, her hair, as well as the water that soaked it, flailing around in the air.

"I heard the news myself from mother and father. They seem to be joyous at the fact that Issei was captured." I lowered my head as a shaky breath escaped my mouth, my body trembling as I began to grind my teeth together.

"Grayfia, after you get dressed, please take me to where Issei is." Grayfia seemed to blush as I pointed out her state of undress but nod in agreement nonetheless.

"What do you plan to do, Rias?" I raised my head and stared into Grayfia's eyes.

"We're going to break him out whether you like or not."

* * *

"Attention! Attention in the court."

There were four sides to the room. The north side, the east side, the south side and the west side. On the east sat were rows of seats, many important figures sitting there. The west side had nothing but a blank lavish wall. On the north side was an elevated seating area, three of four armoured but lavishly dressed rulers sitting on their thrones. In the centre were two evenly spaced apart desks. Behind the most western desk stood one figure, their hand on their hip, with a second figure slumped over in a chair beside them. Behind the most eastern desk sat two figures, paperwork littering the top of the desk. On the south side were many rows of seats, many unimportant people spread out among the seats.

Indeed.

This was a courtroom.

And I, Sirzechs Lucifer, was here against my will.

If it wasn't for that damn Issei Hyoudou, I could already have his head on a silver platter. But everything Rias had told me of him in her unexpectedly excited and somewhat dreamy manner was true.

He was powerful beyond all imagination. He was somewhat charismatic. Unknowingly snarky at times while meaning well. Shameless… If he hadn't ruined my sister's life, he'd be the perfect suitor for her instead of that stupid Raiser guy.

And so I glanced at the man that sat next to me.

He was Lord Phenex. Tall, stunningly handsome with the generic blonde hair of the Phenex clan and a noble air. Otherwise humble and extremely polite, he seemed to be impassive today, probably because of this whole court judgement that made no sense to him or the other Devils.

"Lord Lucifer, may I know what that demon is doing here?" A whisper from Lord Phenex forced me to release a much needed sigh. While I would say that Issei was too powerful for me to capture and explain how he got bored and asked to be here in exchange for his capture, it'd probably ruin my reputation as a Satan.

"In return for not ending anymore lives, he agreed to come here and receive his judgement." Was what I whispered in return, eyeing the other three Satans as the chatter behind me died down, my pride intact. I quickly glanced over my shoulder and saw the curt nod of my father, his expression grave and unforgiving.

"Okey dokey," Serafall Leviathan started, staring at a sheet of paper on the wood in front of her, "it seems that we've got quite a ridiculous case here!" A burst of complaints erupted in the courtroom as Serafall's careless statement contradicted the feelings of many of the people here.

"Attention!" Ajuka Beelzebub's voice was loud and overpowering, so it naturally shut everyone up. However, that didn't stop the many glares I could feel from behind that were clearly pointed at Serafall.

"Right," Serafall cleared her throat, "I apologise for my earlier statement, I guess?" I struggled to hold back a groan as Serafall's 'apology' sounded more like a question, prompting me to purse my lips and fold my arms.

"Anyway," Ajuka continued, waving a hand around in the air in dismissal of Serafall's statement, "we're here today to deliver a fair trial. The plaintiff is Sirzechs Lucifer and Lord Phoenix while the defendant is Issei Hyoudou, the human you may have never heard of before. In short, the case is that Lucifer and Phoenix want him to receive the death penalty for killing Raiser Phoenix and crippling Rias Gremory. The plaintiff may begin."

I cleared my throat as I stood up and, as I opened my mouth to speak…

"Objection." Straight off the bat, Issei, even though he was already standing, jumped to his feet and pointed an accusatory finger at me. I groaned and sat down in my chair, burying my head in my hands.

"How can you object if Sirzechs hasn't even said anything?" Oh, thank Satan, Serafall was backing me up. However…

"Bah, just let the human do whatever he likes. I don't care." Falbium Asmodeus' first words in this procedure forced Serafall to pout, her mouth opening to say something. Ajuka promptly slapped her across the back of her head, whispering something along the lines of, "Shut up before I kill you."

Serafall awkwardly coughed into her hand while muttering, "Objection overruled."

"Objection." Issei shouted again, this time standing on the table so he was eye to eye with the Satans.

"Just speak, kid." Asmodeus yawned as he kicked his legs up onto the wood in front of him, his hands behind his head.

Ajuka, however, was having none of this and delivered a swift hand chop to Falbium's midsection, forcing the unenthusiastic Devil to fold up like a beach chair.

"Ok, I'm bored now." Serafall spun around in her chair and faced Ajuka with the most serious expression I've seen her have in a long while. "Heeeeey, Ajukaaaa, can we go now?" Serafall asked with her best puppy eyes, her seriousness a complete lie. Meanwhile, I felt like crying into my hands as my hope of delivering justice was slowly dying at the hands of the antics of those three.

"No, you cannot leave, Serafall. We have a duty to overlook this case because…" Ajuka paused as he struggled to think of a reason as to why he was doing this whole court procedure. My friend glanced at me for help, though, and I shrugged in response, unsure as to why they're even here themselves.

Falbium sighed and stood on his feet, staring down at everyone that met his gaze. "You're all dismissed or something like that. Playtimes over. Go home because I want to go home."

A chop to the head seemingly knocked Falbium out, his body slumping over the edge of a wooden railing as Ajuka glared at anyone and everyone that had made an attempt to move. "None of you will be leaving until we have a verdict. Is that clear?"

There was absolute silence.

Well, there was silence when you excluded my sudden scream.

"God dammit, you guys!" I ignored the painful shock that was delivered to my skull. "You, Serafall, and you, Falbium! Get out! Now!" I pointed to the door behind me and watched as the supposedly unconscious Falbium beamed, Serafall pouting at me.

"But…but I keep on telling you to call me Sera, Sirzechs!" I began to slam my head against the desk as Sera's stupid made me want to physically hang myself.

"Just…can you just leave, Sera?" She seemed to gasp as I called her by the name she wanted me to call her, her eyes lighting up as she vaulted over the railing of the elevated platform and onto the floor, her arms outstretched as she did a flying leap in an attempt to embrace me.

Meanwhile, Falbium had already reached the door and had gone to grab it when the door was slammed open, his body being crushed between the door and the wall. All I heard from him was a quiet whimper.

"Sirzechs, you have some explaining to do!" My face immediately paled as I started to hyperventilate.

Why?

Because my wife was here.

"Yeah, Sirzechs, you have some explaining to do!" I felt my soul try to escape through my mouth as my body slumped in my chair, my eyes almost rolling back in my skull.

Why?

Because my sister was here.

"H-hey, Grayfia, Rias." I rose a shaky hand and forced a faltering smile onto my face as Sera's leap stopped mid-air, her body falling to the floor as quickly as she stopped.

"Ow, my chin!" Was the only thing she said as she lifted her head…until her entire body went limp.

"Are…are you okay, Sera?" I peered over the edge of my desk and groaned as I realised that she had fallen unconscious…or was doing a Falbium.

Anyway, Grayfia stormed over to me with Rias being pushed in front of her, their fiery expressions almost identical as they bore holes in me with their eyes. As they reached me, standing and sitting in front of my desk respectively, I couldn't help but shrink under their stares.

"You…!" I almost squealed in fear as Grayfia grabbed me by the collar of my suit, pulling my face close to hers as she growled. "What do you think you're doing, you idiot?" I glanced to my side to try and receive help from Lord Phoenix but died a little on the inside when I saw that he was looking away from me, innocently whistling as he stared at everything but me.

"W-well, you s-see, Grayfia…I thought it was a nice idea to invite Issei Hyoudou over for some tea…" A collective echo of many face palms resounded throughout the courtroom.

"Tea in a courtroom, huh? Okay, I believe you." Grayfia let go of my collar, much to my relief, and turned away from me, a collective echo of many gasps of disbelief resounding throughout the courtoom. I, myself, sighed in relief, my heartrate slowing down. "As if I'd believe that!"

And then Grayfia grabbed me by the collar, shaking me about as she screamed about me being stupid, me not respecting Rias' wishes and me making stupid decisions. I took it all in stride, though, as, in the corners of my eyes, I saw Issei casually stroll over to Rias and start a conversation with her. The contents of their talk was inaudible, though, as Grayfia's screams and shouts drowned out everything but my thoughts.

Meanwhile, the jury on the east side of the room sighed in annoyance, the crowd to the south slowly dispersed and all that was left was Issei, his Fallen Angel friend, Rias, Grayfia, an unconscious Serafall, a flat Falbium, an annoyed Ajuka, Lord Phoenix and me.

"Now, do you repent for your sins?" My wife stood with her arms crossed under her bust, her expression a little lighter but still filled with fury. I had metaphorically lost my soul and what had made me a man, like my pride as a Satan, but I thought this outcome was better than the one I was thinking of. I mean, no one has died, right?

…

…

…

Cough, cough, we'll pretend I never said that, okay?

"Yes, I repent. So please forgive me, Grayfia." Grayfia turned her head away from me with both of her eyes shut as she humphed, acting like a total tsundere. But that was something I could dig.

Anyway, she cracked an eye open, smirked at me and said, "You were wrong the entire time."

I tilted my head to the side in confusion but, as I did so, I fell to the side and out of my chair as my body suddenly felt really heavy, my eyelids even heavier. Through the blurry vision that had come with my fall, I saw Grayfia teetering on the edge of collapsing and reached out to catch her.

However, my body wouldn't move and, as I watched on in horror as she collapsed to the floor in a dangerous way, landing on her head, a vicious, black swirl appeared in the centre of the room, a familiar figure stepping out of it…

* * *

 **A new chapter so soon!? Blasphemy! This is a dream, right!? I can't believe I put in enough effort to release this so quickly! Well, anyway, we're onto the main plot of the story that the title is derived on. This arc, even though I've never named any arcs before, is called** _ **World's End**_ **…get it? You understand the title of the story now, right? Wrong! We're not even close to the end! Give me twenty more chapters, dammit!**

 **Thank you for reading World's End!**


	19. Chapter 19

"I'm glad to see you're in good health, Rias." Issei said with a grin as he observed the wheelchair bound Devil. She smiled in return, staring up at the human in front of her.

"We Devils have the ability to do anything, you know?"

"Really? I'm not trying to be mean, but if you Devils had the ability to do anything, you'd be walking, wouldn't you?" A shadow fell over Rias' face at Issei's words, forcing the human boy to sigh as he held a hand to his face, muttering a short apology that fell on deaf ears.

"That's the only thing we can't do, actually…well, under any _normal_ circumstances, it'd be possible to fix me, but…" Rias stopped short and sighed, throwing her back to stare up at the ceiling as Issei leaned on the desk behind him, his arms crossed.

"What exactly happened to you?" Rias grimaced, swinging her head back to its upright position.

"Well, someone that looked like you but wasn't you managed to break into the Rating Game between me and a guy called Raiser. He killed Raiser by decapitating him and he shoved a hand through my midsection and spine…" A look of understanding fell on Issei's face as Rias offered him a weak but reassuring smile.

"Then…why are you unable to walk?" Rias sighed and ran a hand down her face.

"For some reason the ability to apply magic to that section of my body has been blocked and restricted. That guy probably did it and we don't know how to remove it."

"Ah, it must be a seal, right?" Rias tilted her head to the side in confusion before she lit up like a Christmas tree.

"How did we not think of that!?" She shouted, her hope rising with no sign of stopping. However, Issei crushed her dreams and expectations with a single sentence.

"If it's restricting magic like that it's an extremely advanced seal."

"So…no hope for me, huh?" Issei slowly shook his head as he clicked his tongue, pushing himself off of the desk as he stood closer to Rias.

"That's no way the heir of the Gremory clan should act like that, right?"

"What do you mean?"

"Who do you think you're looking at, Rias?" Rias furrowed her brow in confusion as she frowned.

"I'm looking at you, Issei…?"

"Correct! I am only the bestest, most qualified person to solve this problem, you pitiful Cherry Trap." Ignoring what she had been called, Rias was beaming. She grabbed Issei by the sleeve and forcefully pulled him down to her level, a yelp of surprise coming from the human boy.

"Will you fix me, then?" Issei reclaimed his arm by yanking it out of Rias' grasp.

"You didn't ask nicely."

"Ah, in that case…Pleeaaasseee?" Rias drawled with the best puppy eyes she could muster, willing to beg Issei to solve her crippling problem if she had to.

"Fine, but only when we…" Issei turned his head and stared at Raynare's body, sensing something… impure coming from it. He hesitantly stepped away from it, unsure as to what was happening, Rias watching on in confusion, until a burst of energy erupted throughout the room.

As quickly as the energy had arrived, it had disappeared, Issei still staring at Raynare's body with a frown as he heard the sounds of a few heavy weights hitting the floor. Realizing what was happening, the human body turned his head to see the state of Rias and saw that she was happily slumped over in her wheelchair, fast asleep, just like the other Devils in the room.

"Now that all of the key players are gathered in the one room, I shall make my move." Faster than Issei could see, Rias was simply gone, only her chair remaining where it sat. He turned to the side, noticing the dark swirl in the centre of the room and frowned as he saw the retreating form of…himself.

"What the? Who are you?!" Issei shouted, stepping towards the figure of himself as they stopped short of the portal, Rias slung over their shoulder. They slowly spun their head around, their neck almost twisting a full one hundred and eighty degrees, and frowned, a short sigh escaping their lips.

"Me?" Issei, with as much speed as he could muster, lunged towards the figure with the intent to stop him. However, a strike to the solar plexus made Issei keel over with a gasp. The figure, although it seemed as if they hadn't moved, was shaking their fist with a wince, turning their whole body towards Issei while muttering something to themselves. "You're not very fast, but you're pretty durable. You should have exploded with that hit, but all you did was bend over a little. How disappointing. You could have vomited up blood or something, you know?"

Issei ignored the pain that was spreading throughout his body and straightened his back, standing eye to eye with the figure.

Their red eyes, ashen skin and the dark bags under their eyes…

"Who the hell are you?" The figure tried to force a polite smile onto their face, the weird combination of lip and teeth forming something more grotesque than a simple smile, and offered a short bow.

"My name is Issei Hyoudou and I've come to fuck your shit up."

* * *

My mind was a mess.

It was quiet, but it was full of various thoughts that wouldn't leave me alone. I could only ponder as to why they wouldn't leave me alone. Although they were about my violent past, something I had come to terms with long ago, they would not leave the space that I deemed to be sacred.

My eyes snapped open and my body moved on its own as it rolled to the side, a thin, slender spear stabbing the floor where I lay seconds ago as I dived into the depths of my somewhat twisted mind. I immediately jumped to my feet, realising there was a threat in the room, and assumed a stance, one leg sliding back while I raised my fists with a sharp exhale.

My exaggerated movements turned out to be a waste of my time, though, as the fight in front of me was something I was not able to see. Sure, there was the occasional splatter of blood and the flutter of sparks, but I couldn't see anything.

I twisted my head to the side as a thick, heavy looking sword soared through the air at a speed that was barely visible to me, the blade smashing through the hard, marble wall with ease. From there it continued its predicted trajectory, seemingly unstoppable as it continued to break through many walls before it reached the outside world, embedding itself in the cobblestone road up to the hilt.

I stared at it in shock for a few moments, contemplating as to whether I should escape or not. But, recognising my duty as a Satan, all I could do was stand my ground and watch as the two invisible forces clashed in the room.

I mean, I could destroy the human nation of Japan many times over with my power which means I'm extremely powerful. But seeing two things clash at a speed that was invisible to me meant they were extremely powerful, more so than I was, meaning I shouldn't get involved in their battle lest I die for no reason.

I grit my teeth as the only thing I could do was watch and protect those that were still unconscious. I glanced at the bodies of my fellow Devils with a grimace, but I felt as if there was someone missing…

"Rias!?" I shouted out as the realisation hit me faster than I could think, my eyes shooting to the empty wheelchair in an instant. My mind was racing, panic shooting through me, until one of the two blurs was in front of me, a blade sticking through their chest.

"The enemy has Rias in another location." They said as they yanked the blade out of their chest, tossing it to the side as blood began to gush out of his body.

"A-are you okay?" I hesitantly asked as, with the back of his hand, he wiped a few splotches of blood off of his face. He glanced back at me, offering me a quick thumbs up, and was gone, the sparks and splatters of blood resuming as random weapons were thrown around the room.

"If you're awake, make yourself useful, Leviathan!" Issei shouted as soon as he disappeared. I, however, was confused as to what I was supposed to do. I couldn't see what was happening, so how was I supposed to fight?

"What am I supposed to do?"

"Your water!" He shouted, his form briefly appearing as a flicker as he caught a giant broadsword with his bare hands. "Just flood the room!"

"What about the others? They're unconscious!" I could hear his grunt of pain from where I stood as blood exploded all over the west wall.

"Just do it!" I bit my lip as the two figures stopped in the centre of the room, one of them grappling the other while bleeding out of a giant gash in their side.

"Fine!" I stretched my arms out and focused all of my power into a huge magical circle that appeared above the two of them, the one being pinned grunting as he struggled to push Issei off of him. I closed my eyes, losing sight of the world around me, and released a sharp breath as water poured out of the circle at an unbelievable rate, the two figures being crushed under the flow of the water.

But where was Rias?

Panic filled my mind as I tried to stop my magic, desperately searching the room in an attempt to find her.

The water that poured forth from the circle slowly decreased in volume as I stopped caring about the magic. "Where are you, Rias?" I shouted out as I began to trudged through the knee-high water, my fellow Devils and that Fallen Angel safely floating on their backs as I ignored all logical thought and reason.

A head stuck itself out of the water as they gasped, their body instantly falling face first into the water as a sword stuck itself through their skull. "God dammit, Serafall, he's threw Rias into a portal! I told you that, so why did you stop the water!?"

I cursed as I was unsure of my own reasoning and watched as the second figure slowly rose out of the water as if he was undead, his torso being pulled up by an invisible string. They swung their body forward, a small laugh escaping their lips, and let their eyes meet mine.

An indescribable fear filled my heart at that moment, driving me to the brinks of despair as the seemingly glowing crimson peered out at me through the gaps of the wet, brown hair. They stepped toward me, their gait slow and heavy, as they chuckled to themselves, their laugh a raspy, demented echo that sounds as if it hasn't been played in a couple of decades.

"You…" His voice was as cold as the empty vacuum of space, his words soft but hard at the same time. "You fucking Devil…" I instinctively stepped back as he approached me as I attempted to create distance between us. "How dare you hurt me like that. It's really painful, you know?"

As fast I could think, his face was inches away from mine, his hand squeezing my throat. I naturally struggled in his grip, my hands clawing at the arm that was slowly lifting me into the air. My legs flailed about, sometimes kicking him in various places and sometimes not.

Despite my attempts to free myself, I knew that my death was inevitable.

I, Serafall Leviathan, the former heir of the Sitri clan, am going to die at the hands of Issei Hyoudou.

I was dropped to the floor as a long blade cut through this Issei's bone as if it was nothing. The Issei stared down at his stumps, sighing as he did so, and bent his body back to avoid a decapitating blow.

"Surprise attacks always work, huh?" He muttered to himself as he casually backed away from the Issei with the sword, seemingly tripping over as he fell back into a black swirl that appeared on the surface of the water.

As soon as he disappeared, the room was silent bar my coughs and gasps for air.

Issei tossed the sword he was holding to the side and slowly fell onto the bloody water, floating on his back as he stared up at the sky. He folded his arms over his chest as I rubbed my neck with a hand, his brow furrowing.

"God dammit!" With that scream, he punched the entire west wall out of existence, his breath heavy as his knuckles bled.

All of the water drained out of the room through the hole in the wall as I watched Issei, half afraid of what he would do in his fit of rage.

"That motherfucker wasn't even trying!"

There goes the east wall.

"…Fuck this shit. I'm leaving."

And, with a grumble, his rage having been extinguished by something much stronger than anger, he collected the Fallen Angel in his arms and stormed out of the room, a dark shadow hanging over his face as kicked at anything that got his way.

That included the poor, innocent door, by the way, and watching the majestic piece of wood explode into many shards brought tears to my eyes.

* * *

 **This chapter came out in a timely manner, did it not? That's a good thing, though! Anyway, in this chapter, you were introduced to the main villain. His name is Issei Hyoudou! Huh? Issei Hyoudou? Isn't he also the protagonist of this story? Well, remember how there are infinite universes? Yeah, that explains everything…**

 **Thank you for reading World's End!**

 **Also, I feel as if this chapter seems somewhat rushed and…weird in a way. Is it the wording? Pacing? Lately, I've been finding it hard to express my thoughts in a coherent worded form so I had to edit this somewhat when going over it, so that may be it.**


	20. Chapter 20

**Thank you for two hundred followers and one hundred reviews! It's a huge milestone!**

* * *

I wasn't weak by any means. No, I was strong. I was one of the strongest, using my powerful magic and fervent will to fight as a hero of the Old Satan Faction. I was just as strong as my husband and his friends, yet…I was 'weak'. I was unable to do anything in the face of an adversary that knocked all of us Devils unconscious.

But Serafall was fine. Was it the fact that she had previously fallen unconscious or was it because her mental will was stronger than mine? I couldn't accept the fact that I was asleep, unable to do anything against the man that dared to harm Rias.

All I could do was grit my teeth and listen in horror as Serafall recalled every single detail of Issei's battle with that wretched man. I hated myself for it, hated myself for being too weak to protect my sister-in-law, and could only drown in self-pity and sorrow.

"Are you okay, Grayfia?" Sirzechs' voice forced me to raise my head, his blue-green eyes soft with concern. I gripped the hem of my skirt, not wearing the atypical maid uniform I was widely known for, and trembled under his stare.

"I'm just…angry. Angry at myself," I said with a quiet, shaky voice, my eyes falling to trace the details of the small table we sat at. "I'm angry that I couldn't do anything." I laid a hand on my teacup and toyed with it, slipping my finger around the inside of the ceramic arch as Sirzechs sighed, one of his hands reaching out to grab my own.

"There was nothing we could do, even if we were awake." I bit my lip as I too sighed, trying to sort out the feelings that were clouding my mind. I raised my head, briefly staring into his eyes, and glanced around the mostly empty café, taking my mind off of his hurtful but mostly truthful words.

"So what are we supposed to do, Sirzechs?" I muttered lifting my teacup to my mouth, savouring the light, herbal taste of the beverage.

" _We_ can't do anything, but we know someone that can." I placed the teacup back onto the saucer it came from and gently placed my head on the table, shivering under the touch of the cool wood. Sirzechs placed a hand on my head to reassure me, gently ruffling my hair.

I sighed.

I sighed because everything Sirzechs had said was right. I didn't want to admit it, but he was right. He was always right when it came to matters like these. But I didn't want him to be right. I wanted to be comforted, I want to be told that I could have and still can do something to help Rias.

But that's where the difference between Sirzechs and I comes in.

He's being a realist and I want to be an optimist.

When faced with the overwhelming truth, I hid the truth in a locked chest and threw it to the bottom of the ocean, hoping to never see it again. But I'll have to drag the chest out of that bottomless ocean sooner or later to face this truth, this wretched realization that has been tormenting me for the past week.

In the depths of my mind, a week has been too long.

Even if we somehow find Rias, she could be dead, mutilated, broken and all other kinds of messed up. And this was the truth I had to accept. Sirzechs knew that there was no hope for his sister and accepted that while I sat in a corner and refused to believe it.

I refused to believe that Rias' body was probably in a ditch somewhere, already rotting with the skin starting to peel off.

I shuddered at the thought of her dead body and raised my head, tears clouding my eyes.

"If he's the only person that can help us, then why did he disappear?"

* * *

I was bleary eyed as I was awakened from some kind of great slumber. My vision was blurring everything beyond any formal recognition, I could hear no sounds and I had trouble moving my mostly numb body. It was painful, annoying and unnecessary for the development of my surroundings.

"Ah. You're awake." Neither was that familiar voice, but at least I knew I was accompanied by the person that brought me here. As I continued to blink the sleep out of my eyes, a silent yawn escaping my throat, a few tears slowly cleared my vision, allowing me to grasp a comprehensible sight of what I had awakened to.

And I did not like what I had awakened to.

As soon as I was able to clearly observe my surroundings, I noticed the rows and rows of cages that were neatly placed throughout the corridor I was in. Most of the cages were occupied by unrecognisable forms, some having familiar sections of crimson on them, some having bones protruding through the skin, but there was a common theme throughout.

All of the figures were moving, breathing and somewhat screaming, sending shivers down my spine as I desperately tried to ignore them. To my right, there was a rank, brick wall that had stains of red on it and on my left was a thick-looking door that appeared to be made of metal.

And at the end of the corridor was _him_ , the one had brought me here, sitting on an old wooden chair with one leg crossed over the other while grinning at me.

Throughout all of this, I had to wonder where exactly I was, though. I mean, everything went dark the last time I was actively conscious and my body was beyond any physical repair, so how was I here in this room, living and breathing as any living thing would?

I had no answers to my questions and I felt as if I would have none any time soon.

Especially when that man was the one that had captured me, not that I knew much about him.

"Do you like my experiments?" That man continued, jumping to his feet as he began to approach me, fear encroaching my heart as I swallowed the lump that had formed in my throat. He stopped after a few steps, smiling as he stared into one of the cages, and glanced at me, expecting me to respond.

But as I opened my mouth, nothing came out. Nary a word nor a sound, driving the final stake of despair into my heart. I could only frown as he continued to approach me, his eyes lighting up with realisation as he knew that I couldn't speak.

"That's right! You can't speak, can you? Nor can you move very well." This is the first time I had heard of this restriction of movement and, when I raised what I thought was the entirety of my arm I was met with a horrific stump above the elbow that delivered an excruciating phantom pain to my mind. I winced as I glanced down over my naked body at what I thought would be legs but was met with everything above the knee.

No arms, no legs, no speech.

I was effectively screwed, wasn't I? Here in this dark, musty place with a stranger that looks like someone I dearly know…my death was almost confirmed if it wasn't for the fact that this man had somewhat prevented my death, even if it's only for a few hours or days.

But how long have I been here? How long have I been unconscious? This body I am occupying, this body that I am now living in, clearly can't be mine as I had straight up died in that street. So I've come to the conclusion that my soul, my consciousness, had somehow been transferred to another body that may or may not have been an exact replica of mine.

That's not necessarily a good thing, though, as this body has no arms, no legs and a voice that makes no sound. I'd much rather be dead and in my own body than this one, but beggars can't be choosers, can they?

If I was able to, I would sigh.

I grimaced instead.

"If you want to know, you have been asleep for an entire week. That's the longest it's taken someone to wake up, so congratulations! You've broken a record. Do you feel accomplished yet?" The sarcastic tone and slow clapping that followed those twisted words made me want to punch the speaker in the face, however, I had no hands to do so.

It was a strange feeling, actually, not being able to feel anything beyond the stump. I mean, because I'm accustomed to having the extensions of my limbs, it feels as if they're there but they're not. They simply don't exist. And right now I was focusing on trying to not suddenly burst into tears and silently sob as I realised how utterly fucked up my situation was.

So I glared at the man that was now standing in front of me, his arms limply hanging by his side as he loosely grinned at me, his tired eyes staring back into my own.

"You won't be able to resist for long, you know?" He growled at me as his grin dropped off his face. I didn't falter; instead, I spat at him in an act of defiance to show him that I wouldn't bow down to him. However, that proved to be the wrong thing to do as he delivered a swift punch to my stomach that made me keel over, tears spilling out of my eyes as the pain was too intense for my mind to handle.

"At first, I pitied you and was considering mental torture, but now I fucking hate you." He stepped closer to me and cupped my cheek, his cool hand forcing my head up in an attempt to make me look at him.

I averted my eyes like a coward, knowing that my earlier determination and resolve was probably a mask I was wearing to hide my inner fear.

"So, what shall it be? Sexual assault? Physical torture? I'll let you decide because you're so verbal today!" I glared at his snarky remark as we both knew that I wouldn't be able to respond. So, in response to his own question, he pulled a knife out of his pocket and pressed the edge of the blade against my neck, a small smile on his face as he slowly cut the skin, drawing blood in a matter of seconds.

"Do you want to know what I love most?" I didn't move, lest the blade pierce my neck and end my life. Although death would be painful, it would be better than suffering at the hands of this man. But I felt as if he'd be able to bring me back to life…

"A mixture of both." Sheer horror spread across my face as he chuckled. "However, for now, you're in luck. Just before you woke up, I had finished defiling a crimson princess that deserved all of her pain, so you'll have to wait. Disappointed?" His chuckle evolved into a boisterous and infuriatingly annoying laugh that sent me to the depths of despair.

Why?

Because I knew that he was completely serious.

I knew that this man would probably rape and pillage my body until I was nothing but a shell of my former self that would not respond to any stimulus. Only then would he end my misery for there would be no more fun to be had…

"Ah, you're thinking that that Issei you're in love with is going to come and save you, right?" Although he was wrong about the part where I was in love with Issei, I blushed. "Well, he won't be coming to save you anytime soon as he won't be able to get here."

This Issei pulled the knife away from my neck, quickly leaning in to lick the blood away with his tongue to my disgust and discomfort, and stepped away. He turned away from me, his arms in his pockets as he whistled and stopped short of the rows of cages, glancing at me from over his shoulder.

"I hope you enjoy fun, Raynare, because we're going to be having a lot of fun. Well, it may be fun for me and not for you…"

* * *

Deep in the mountains, there existed nature. The trees peacefully stood in place, their roots digging deep into the earth, the flowers swayed in the wind, hoping to catch as much sunlight as possible, and the native creatures lived day to day with the hopes of surviving in the harsh world.

And then a giant explosion ruined this peaceful section of the forest, the cause heavily panting and dripping with sweat as they held their hands out in front of them. As the smoke and dust settled, they weakly grinned, satisfied with their work, and collapsed onto their back, staring up at the blue sky above them.

"I've really become complacent, huh?" They muttered to themselves as they held an arm in front of their eyes to shield them from the unforgiving sun, relishing the cool breeze that occasionally blew through the valleys in between the mountains.

A short distance away from them, propped up against a large rock, was the unconscious body of a figure. The cause of the explosion glanced over at the body, sighing as he swung his body into a sitting position, and crossed his legs, rotating so they were facing them.

"The body is in good condition but there is no mental response…" They jumped to their feet, striding over to the body, and crouched down in front of it, staring into the pale eyelids. A sigh escaped into the air as the cause of the explosion turned away from the body, their eyes trailing the empty, azure sky before they settled on the horizon, their lips pursed as the wind once again blew through the valley.

"I hope you're alright, Raynare…"

* * *

 **Spooky. Not really. Well, plot and plot and plot. It doesn't stop coming, same for me (not in that way), and it will stay that way until I am satisfied! Until the end of this story, at least…anyways, I am super satisfied with the quality of this chapter. Avid reader Hellsender (shout out to you, buddy) told me what I was missing this whole time and that was detailed monologues, something I made sure to implement! Thanks, Hellsender~**

 **Thanks for reading World's End! See you in the next chapter!**


	21. Chapter 21

To Issei, there were an infinite number of universes. There were countless possibilities, an endless amount of lives where things could have been different. There was many universes that were created due to him having toast for breakfast instead of cereal. There were countless possibilities that could have stemmed from that.

Yet he couldn't shake off this feeling of insecurity he had. Thinking about it, he didn't even know why he felt insecure. Was it because he realised he was weak? Was it because of the Issei that had managed to travel through universes? He didn't know why, but he knew that it was an uncomfortable feeling that planted a small seed of fear in his heart.

That fear was why he had dragged himself to this forest in the middle of nowhere.

He wanted to become stronger. He wanted to figure out how to travel through universes as that other Issei had. He wanted to be able to defeat him, save Rias for the sake of it and prove that his fear was pointless, that his fear was an unnecessary feeling that was a creation of his mind.

But he wasn't able to. No matter how much he tried, no matter how much he strained his body, he knew that it was pointless. He wasn't becoming stronger. He was just wasting his time.

For the first time in this universe, Issei felt truly hopeless.

He didn't know what to do, he had no tricks up his sleeve and there was nothing his almost infinite amount of knowledge could think of.

Issei sighed and fell onto his back, staring up at the night sky.

If it wasn't for the fact that he wasn't able to, he would have returned to his gaseous dimension in a heartbeat. This whole situation was too much for him to handle and he knew it. He covered up his powerlessness by telling himself that he was only bored and had nothing to do, but he knew that, deep down in the bottom of his heart, he was being overwhelmed.

All he could do was click his tongue and roll onto his side, staring at Raynare's immobile body with a frown as the realisation hit him harder than he thought it would. But staring at Raynare's milky face, her soft, red lips and her long, silky black hair, he thought that he could crawl over there and…

He rapidly shook his head to dispel that thought, telling himself that that was just a way he'd cope with his complicated feelings. He told himself that he didn't love Raynare, that he didn't care for her, but in the end he knew it was all pointless.

Issei knew that he cared for her because he wouldn't have done all that's he done for her. He wouldn't have brought her home when he tore her wings off and sealed her magic, he wouldn't have saved her from Kokabiel, he wouldn't have bought her all of the clothes and shoes she needed to survive, he wouldn't have enrolled her at Kuoh Academy and he wouldn't have brought her body back to life if he didn't care for her.

His chest felt all warm and fuzzy at the thought of being in a relationship with someone, let alone the person he had undoubtedly hurt.

"What the hell am I doing…?" Issei mumbled as he rolled onto his other side.

* * *

When I was an Angel, I lived an undesirable life.

I wasn't really created to do anything. I was weak. I couldn't control my magic. I blindly and innocently listened to and agreed with everything I was told. I thought everyone was my friend. I wasn't jealous of anything. I didn't love anything. I didn't _feel_ anything.

Now, though…now that I'm a Fallen Angel, I'm feeling hatred and anger, whimpering as a thin strip of leather cracked against my skin every so often. If I was an Angel, I would smile and pray for forgiveness, hoping that my worthless God would save me from such a fate.

However, all I could do was grit my teeth and endure the pain as I knew that God was as good as dead. He answered no one's prayers, he listened to no one and he did nothing, simply because he had stopped existing.

And for what? What was all of this for? Why did he create this cruel world, this broken me, this sinister demon that relentlessly struck me with his whip? Why did he suddenly decide that it was a good idea to create such an elaborate world where everyone had their own thoughts and feelings? Why did he do such a thing when he knew he would die halfway through?

"Scream for me, Raynare!" A soft whimper escaped me as a patch of pale skin became a hot, burning red, many imaginary knives stabbing the affected area over and over with no signs of stopping.

The one thing I've noticed during these few days I've been conscious is that this Issei doesn't touch me with his own hands. Whether it be out of fear or disgust or hatred, he has not touched a single strand of my oily hair with the tip of his finger.

Instead, he's been using his toys.

It's a brutal and disheartening way to put it, but the way he cherishes that whip and the knives he's used to carve up my body is almost childlike, kind of like he's a young kid playing with his playthings.

But these weapons are not playthings. They're weapons and they should be used to hurt people with the intent to punish or kill, not to play. But this is what this Issei enjoys the most. He likes to play with me. He likes to play games with me.

He once told me he'd give me an arm back if I told him a few secrets of mine. I unwillingly told him and my right arm grew back over the period of twenty-four hours. I was ecstatic to have received the sensations of a limb once more, even if it was sluggish and numb.

However…

However, he cut it off as soon as he saw the happiness on my face.

He grabbed a hacksaw from a hook on the wall, lined it up above the elbow joint on the arm and got to work, pulling and pushing on the saw as it easily slid through the bone, muscle and flesh. All I could do then was scream as he had strapped me down onto a bloodied surgical table faster than I could realise.

Afterwards, he waved the hand around in front of my face as I lay in a daze, staring up at the mouldy ceiling as I struggled to stay conscious. I had lost too much blood and feared I would die if I fell asleep, so I painstakingly watched as his joy slowly turned to disappointment in the blink of an eye, the arm flying through the air towards the floor with a spin.

" _I never said you could keep the arm."_ He said with a frown as he affectionately stared at my new stump. His eyes made me feel uncomfortable, made me squirm and turn away from him, and all he could do was chuckle as he turned to walk away, turned to leave me in this cold, lifeless room.

All I could do was release a shaky sigh as I recalled that unpleasant memory, that unpleasant fragment of what I wanted to be my imagination as I wished that I was dead. Whether it be when I fell, when my Issei broke me or when I was in that street days ago, I wanted to feel nothing more than the quiet void of death.

However, dying would mean I had given this Issei what he wanted and I couldn't do that. I had to patiently wait to be saved, if my saviour was ever going to come, and hope that I'd see the light of day again.

But…even if I was saved, I fear that I would not be who I once was. This pain has already broken me in several ways that have not manifested yet, so who's to say I won't change upon my release?

Yes, I feared that I'd change. I feared that I wouldn't be normal anymore, wouldn't be the person that Issei had come to know. Just like that time he had destroyed my world and had rebuilt it, I feared that my personality would shift too quickly, simply because of the mental stress and trauma I am enduring.

Nay, I mustn't give up hope, I suppose. It's a cliché thing to say, but as soon as I lose hope I lose my livelihood and will to live. I'll scream, I'll shout, I'll cry and beg for mercy and then I'll be dead. I'll stop existing simply because I had been consumed by despair.

I guess I'm a bit special, though. Any normal person would have given up quite a while ago. In fact, I think that as soon as someone had realised they had no limbs they'd instantly ask for their death. I had an inkling of a suspicion that this Issei would grant them their death as soon as they wished it, so it wouldn't be too farfetched to say that I could die if I wanted to.

But I couldn't. For the sake of the man that had saved me in my darkest time and for the sake of the human that had fixed me, I couldn't.

I honestly couldn't bring myself to crack and crumble like an ancient machine that had been left to rust.

* * *

 **So, uhh, this chapter's short. It also took a while to write. Why is it short and why did it take a while to write? I was busy trying to think of what to put past Raynare's section and couldn't think of anything to put here. So, uhh, yeah. That's not because I'm running out of ideas for this. In fact, I'm thinking of more and more things every day. It's just that we're officially up to the second part of this story where things get messy and it would seem out of place to start the new arc in this chapter.**

 **Thank you for reading World's End.**


	22. Chapter 22

**Quick notice! This chapter was originally published on the 6/11/17 and was updated on the 7/11/17 due to the lack of quality in the original version of this chapter.**

* * *

It had a diameter of approximately ten meters. With many smaller, less significant circles that spanned from a range of one meter to five meters, some messily overlapping due to the haste at which they were drawn, this magical circle was beyond anything any Devil had seen.

Especially for Grayfia and Sirzechs who had refined their magic to the point that they probably didn't even need to utilise the magical constructs. So, when Issei saw the surprise on their face when he hastily dragged them to this forest in the middle of nowhere after interrupting their breakfast in the Underworld, the Satan mildly protesting while the maid berated him with tears in her eyes, he couldn't help but smirk.

Needless to say, the reason the magical circle was so messy was because Issei had created it on a whim shortly after his awakening, having drawn it in the dirt with a stick while rabidly muttering a few incoherent sentences to himself.

"So…what's this, Issei?" Sirzechs eventually asked after a few moments of staring at the shoddily made circle, his brow furrowing as he glanced at the human's indifferent expression.

As if it was obvious as to what it was supposed to be, Issei simply replied with, "It's a magical circle, you know?" Issei's nonchalant reply made Sirzechs' brow twitch in annoyance, a sigh escaping him as he observed the many sub-circles within the much larger, more powerful circle, most of the circle incomprehensible to the Devil.

"Yeah, I know that. But what does it do?" Issei folded his arms across his chest as he traced one of the sub-circles with his eyes, making sure every element of its design and balance was correct. Nodding in satisfaction as he double-checked the validity of the circle, he turned to face Sirzechs, ignoring the sharp glare the Devil sent his way.

"It's capable of manipulating space and time...or something like that. And here I thought you'd be able to read the subscript." Sirzechs rose an eyebrow as Grayfia quietly gasped in surprise, the second part of Issei's words falling on deaf ears.

"Do you expect me to believe that it can really do that?" Sirzechs muttered as he crouched down next to the edge of the circle, making sure to not damage the lines in case it really could manipulate the very essence of the universe's existence. But he doubted it could. In his mind, he thought – no, he knew – that it was impossible to do such a thing. Magic was only capable of manipulating the elements, not the fabric of space and time.

"Yeah. You're a Devil, you know? Your existence is a wonder to humans who believe time travel can and will exist, so why don't you believe in this magical circle?" Sirzechs sighed and ran a hand down his face, realising that what Issei said was more than the truth. If his existence itself was questioned by humans, isn't he the same as them if he questions the capabilities of this magic circle?

He knew he could utilise magic, a common theme in fantasy related subjects, and that his existence was already dismissed by most as a hoax, but Sirzechs didn't know why didn't believe in it. He felt as if it had something to do with the hate he previously had for the human, a hate that he thought he had come to terms with a while ago, but he dismissed it as mere conjecture due to not wanting to believe in what should be impossible.

"Sirzechs, what if it really can? Doesn't that mean we can find Rias?" Sirzechs raised his head as his wife spoke, a grimace forming on his face as Grayfia brought up the sensitive topic of Rias. Sirzechs faced Issei who now had his hands in his pockets and stared him straight in the eyes.

"You're serious about this, aren't you?" Sirzechs' voice was almost a whisper as he glanced at the circle, a hand gesturing at the construct.

"Yup. One hundred percent. I'm totally serious about this. Although, I'm not sure if it'll take us to where Rias is…"

"I don't care if it doesn't work. It's worth a shot, right?" Sirzechs exclaimed as he jumped to his feet, determination set into his face as Issei grinned, his faith now placed in the large magical circle that may not even work. Sirzecs had to question his sanity at such a thing, but he was desperate to find his little sister, even though he had told his own wife about the low chances of her still being alive.

"Are you sure about this? I have a feeling it'll take us to where the other me has kept Rias as I copied his magic…somehow…so we should be prepared for combat."

"Wait, you copied his magic?" Grayfia asked in disbelief, her eyes wide as shock seeped into her body. Issei simply grinned in response, scratching the back of his head as his cheeks were stained red with embarrassment.

"Yeah. It's not the greatest thing I've done, stealing someone's original magic." Was all he could sheepishly mutter in response with a small chuckle following his words.

"So, when are you planning on using this?" Sirzechs asked, Issei clearing his throat to recompose himself as the red left his pale cheeks. "If possible, I want to leave. Now."

"Whenever. The reason I brought you two here is to ask if you wanna come with. I'm not powerful enough to defeat the guy myself, but if I'm with you two we might be able to. You guys are some of the most powerful people I know, so anyone else would be a hindrance." Sirzechs held a hand to his chin as he hummed in thought, his eyes occasionally glancing at his wife who stood beside him.

"Serafall told me you cut his hands off…is this true? Also, what about Rias' peerage? They've been…distraught since she disappeared. They've been blaming it on you, even though we've told them that it wasn't exactly you." Issei's face lit up in realization, seemingly ignoring the part about Rias' peerage. It wasn't because he hated them, but because he didn't care about them. They were too weak for him to bring along and he's barely interacted with them, so they'd be nothing more than a hindrance.

"Ah. That's right. He shouldn't have hands, assuming he hasn't created a magic to regenerate limbs. Also, Rias' peerage will die. They'll most definitely die."

"What do you mean?" Sirzechs asked as he stepped into the confines of the magical circle, Grayfia following behind him. "About the regenerative magic, of course. I had a feeling you'd say what you said about Rias' peerage, but it didn't hurt to ask."

As Sirzechs reached the centre of the circle, Grayfia standing next to him, Issei hummed in thought as he paced back and forth, merely putting on a show for dramatic effect. "Well, if he can travel through dimensions, have you considered the fact that he could be immortal?"

"Immortal?" Sirzechs repeated Issei's words as he lowered his head, the thought of someone being able to live through his destruction magic incomprehensible. "That's impossible, isn't it?"

Issei stopped on the spot and spun on the balls of his feet, "Well, I'm also immortal, you know?"

"You must be kidding. There's no way you're immortal!" Sirzechs shrugged it off as if it was a joke, chuckling as he tilted his head back. Because there was no way an ordinary being would be immortal. Not even God was immortal, so why would, in his Devilish eyes, a puny human being be immortal?

"Okey dokey, then. Choose to not believe me." Issei muttered as he leapt into the circle, quickly approaching Sirzechs and Grayfia as his feet instinctually missed every line and detail of the circle. "Now then," Issei suddenly shouted, startling the pair of Devils, "shall we go?"

As Issei folded his arms against his chest, Sirzechs and Grayfia nod in unison, a red glow piercing through every gap in the forest before a bright, white flash signalled the happening of a great event.

But all that remained of the trio's presence was a large, black patch of scorched earth and a heavy silence that brought an ominous feeling to the clearing.

{Page break}

All of the air left my lungs as my head slammed against the hard ground, pain shooting throughout my entire body as I held back a scream. I chose to roll around and writhe on the floor as I quietly groaned instead, wondering why I was thrown to the floor with force. It was probably because of the magic that was used, however, I had no way to know for sure as no teleportation has left me rolling on the floor with a pounding head.

I gasped for air between my groans, my lungs screaming for air, and eventually I stopped moving, staring up at the musty ceiling in what I realised was a dank room as I struggled to regain my breath. I panted, panted some more, and then stopped, waiting for the severe pain to subside as I almost choked on the suspiciously thick air.

After a few moments, a lingering headache providing me no relief to my pain, I swung my body up into a sitting position and slowly glanced around the room, taking notice of every crack and blemish in the dark brick walls, the uninspiring concrete I was sitting on and the white, mostly clean, panelled roof that was a stark contrast to the wall.

However, despite my impeccable observations of my immediate surroundings, I couldn't find any signs of my two companions. I couldn't find the familiar crimson strands of Sirzechs' hair nor the average build of Issei, meaning I was alone in this place. I was alone in the home of a psycho.

"So this is where that other Issei lives…" I muttered to myself as I slowly pushed myself to my feet, glancing left and right down both ends of what I realised was a very long and dark corridor. I slowly pat the dust of my clothes as I furrowed my brow, unsure as to whether or not I should be concerned. Firstly, where should I go? Going left or right, it's not like it would make much of a difference. Surely this place isn't heavily guarded or riddled with traps, so if I walk in either direction, I should be fine regardless of my choice.

And, luckily, there were only two choices to make. Between turning to my left or right and moving my legs, the decision was quite simple as my instincts were almost screaming at me to walk down the left side of the corridor. So, having confirmed my decision by nodding to myself in agreement, I turned to my left and cautiously travelled through the corridor, the sound of my pumps clicking and clanking against the floor echoing through the hall.

As I began to move through the corridor, I couldn't help but frown as the scenery didn't seem to change. The hallway was fairly long as well as the only thing I could see at the end of my obviously restricted vision was a veil of darkness, so, as I continued through the corridor, I let my thoughts run rampant in my head.

Unfortunately, the first thought that came to mind involved…traps. For better or for worse, all I could think about was the probability of this place being booby-trapped. I mean, it wouldn't be hard to install pressure plates that were wired to various mechanisms nor would it be hard to install motion sensors. Hell, traps could even be magic based. Because the wall was so dark and seriously cracked, a small magical circle would be inconspicuous and pretty much invisible. Knowing that, I wouldn't even be mad if a stream of fire burst out of the wall and burnt me to a crisp.

However, as a large, metallic door pierced the veil of darkness with its luminescent shine and almost obnoxious cleanliness within a dark, brick wall, my thoughts slowly died out. I stopped short of it and glanced at the bricks surrounding it, hoping to find a magical circle. But I didn't find any.

A sigh of relief escaped me as I turned my vision to the handle that was sticking out of the door, my hand hovering over it as I thought of the many possibilities that could be beyond it. I also thought of the possibility of the door itself being trapped, but I dismissed that thought as conjecture andswung the door open, my heart beating rapidly within its bony cage as I expected something to happen.

But, as I was met with the silence of the next corridor, I quietly chuckled to myself as my fears turned out to be irrelevant. I held a hand over my chest in an attempt to calm my heart and, as I stepped past the door-!

Click.

I quickly turned my head to the side as a sharp and very thick metal beam swung down through an opening in the ceiling, one of the roof panels dropping to the floor as the trap activated. It flew past my head, nearly grazing the tip of my nose with its point, and stopped as abruptly as it had fallen.

With wide eyes, I stared at the thick metal beam and owlishly blinked, trying to take in what had just happened.

But I didn't need to comprehend what had happened as I definitely knew what it was.

"So this place really is littered with trips, huh…"

{Page break}

Issei was kneeling over me. He tilted his head to the side, staring into my eyes as I owlishly blinked, and hummed in thought, his eyes narrowing as I refused to move. "You. Are you alright?" He muttered as he pushed himself to his feet, his arms folding themselves across his chest.

Meanwhile, I furrowed my brow and stared up at the seemingly damp but dark ceiling, deep in thought, a lingering headache reminding me of the less than stellar method of arrival that the human seemed to have avoided.

Disregarding the pain that had come with my arrival in this dark, strange place, I had to wonder where it was we were. Assuming Issei's magic worked, which I believe it did, we were currently in the home – or base – of the Issei that had kidnapped my sister. However, I couldn't be one hundred percent sure about that, so, as I jumped to my feet, ready to explore my immediate surroundings, I opened my mouth as I glanced at the space around me, intending on making a joke about how she'd like to clean the place.

But she wasn't here. She wasn't in the surrounding area. There wasn't even a single strand of her grey hair on the floor. I glanced at my human acquaintance as I frowned, my mouth opening to speak. "Issei, where's Grayfia?" Issei looked at me from over his shoulder as he turned to walk down the corridor to my left, his shoulders raising as he shrugged. I followed behind him, my brow furrowing as I tried to conjure any reasons as to why she wouldn't be here. However, I couldn't think of any reasons as to why she'd suddenly disappear.

I mean, it's not like the magic could have erased her existence as it was impossible for such a thing to happen... I was forced to reconsider that statement as I realised the absurdity of my current situation.

With nothing better to do, I opened my mouth to ask Issei about the cause of Grayfia's disappearance. But he suddenly stopped in his tracks, forcing me to clamp my mouth shut as I nearly bumped into him. "I don't know where she is but she should be somewhere around here. Whether it be in the past or in the future, she'll be here so you don't need to worry."

"In the past or in the future…" I whispered to myself as Issei began to move again.

"Yup. That magic circle was meant to send us through space and time to here, you know? So she should be in the same space but in a different time. We're lucky to have ended up together, you know?"

Surprising even myself, I suddenly growled as I grabbed Issei by the shoulder, spinning him around to face me as I bore holes in him with my eyes. "Why didn't you tell us this before we used that circle?" Issei shrugged, casually staring into my eyes as if I was nothing to him.

"Because I only thought of it now."

I was astonished. I let go of his shoulder and stumbled backwards as I processed his words, amazed at his excuse. How could he have only thought of that now when he had a whole week to make the damn circle? Unless…the reason it was drawn in the dirt was because he made it in a few minutes…

"If you're thinking of getting angry at me, don't bother. It'll get us nowhere."

{Page break}

I jumped back as a sawblade flew past me at speeds faster than I could ever imagine a sawblade achieving, the mini blades cutting through the stray cloth over my midsection as I dodged the attack. I jumped to the side, a second one coming from the front, this one completely missing me as it was the level of my neck, and twisted my body to the side, a third and hopefully final one bursting through the ceiling.

I stared at the form of the third one as I lowered my head with a tired sigh, my eyes widening as I realised it had embedded itself deep into the ground, the very peak of the silver blade barely visible. I glanced at the second one, seeing that it cut through the thick doorway and glanced at the first one, grimacing as I noticed that it had a fate that was similar to the third one.

It was stuck in a wall instead of a floor, though.

As the adrenaline slowly calmed, my body relaxing as I regained my breath, short clips of what could have been my fate played in my mind had I not dodged all of the attacks by the breadth of a hair.

As soon as I stepped into the room, the first blade would have cut me in half. The second one would have decapitated me, assuming gravity would not have taken effect by then, and the third one would have split my head in half in any direction.

I shuddered at the thought and celebrated the fact that I was alive.

Yeah, I was alive. Somehow. Having encountered many traps in my short but dangerous journey, there were many times that I thought I would have died if my body didn't react on its own. But, as I had just said, I was alive. I was alive and my survival was probably attributed to the fact that I was extremely wary about this place being trapped upon my awakening.

So I nod once, mostly to myself in acceptance of my skills, as I poked at the torn cloth at my midsection, thanking my survival skills and instincts, and continued on the path I had become dedicated to, reaching what would hopefully be the final door in the unbelievably long set of corridors.

Hoping that this door wasn't trapped like all of its predecessors, I reached out to grab its handle, determination set into my face as I was desperate to survive.

{Page break}

 **Tada. The beginning of Act 2 of…2? Anyway, they've infiltrated Evil Issei's base and…a shocking revelation! The space part of the spell worked, but the time part didn't…? Where's Grayfia in Issei and Sirzechs' time, if she's even alive anymore…? It's all a mystery! A shocking mystery! You'll find out the answers soon!**

 **Thank you for reading World's End!**


	23. Chapter 23

"Do you know where exactly it is we're going?" Sirzechs muttered as he glanced at the depressing state of the corridor, familiar with every nook and cranny that the wall, ceiling and floor proudly displayed as every room appeared to be identical to the last. Noticing this odd turn of events, placing all of his faith in his human compatriot, he couldn't help but wonder what exactly was going on.

Were they going in a loop? Were they trapped in a room that went on forever?

These thoughts ran rampant in Sirzech's mind as his anxiety rose, his worry for his lonely wife increasing with every step he took. Glancing over his shoulder and frowning at the sorry state of the Devil companion he had dragged along with him, Issei made no effort to respond to Sirzechs inquiries as he himself did not know where exactly it was they were going.

Being in a strange place, a strange universe or dimension that he has never visited, it was nigh impossible for Issei to know where it was they were. However, the only thing he knew was that his malicious counterpart was nearby, somewhere in this stretch of corridor, as the air became thicker, heavier and harder to breath.

"Issei?" Sirzechs called out to Issei in an attempt to grab his wandering attention, the Devil's words slicing through the thoughts that had been gathering in the human's mind. Shaking his head, acknowledging that Sirzechs had asked him a question with a quiet hum, Issei pursed his lips and shook his head.

"I don't. I know you wanna know, but I really don't know where it is we are." Sirzechs lips formed the shape of a circle as he muttered a quiet 'ok' in response. Despite the fact that his question was answered with what he didn't want to hear the most, Sirzechs couldn't help but feel at ease, even if it was just a little when his anxiety was paired with how worried he was.

Where was his wife? Is she safe? Is she even alive in this time and place?

Even though Issei had explicitly said that Grayfia would be in the same place but in a different time, Sirzechs couldn't help but feel as if she was in a different dimension entirely. The concept was difficult to wrap his head around, after all, as he was unable to understand the fact that Grayfia may have been transported one, one hundred or one thousand years into the past or future.

But, with a sigh escaping his lips, he forced himself to recognise the grim severity of the situation, the small part of the problem he could understand.

If his wife had been transported into the future by more than a few hours, there was absolutely no chance he was going to see her ever again.

* * *

A putrid smell invaded my nostrils as the door creaked open, its hinges rusty with age. The metal door was heavy but my body had adjusted to moving such a weight. With a grunt and a large amount of force, the thick slab of metal smashed against the wall on the inside of the corridor, the bricks creaking and cracking under the pressure. I stepped into the room with the utmost caution I could gather and quickly glanced around, body tense and ready to move as I expected a diverse range of blades to shoot from the walls and ceiling.

But nothing happened. There was nary a sound nor a change in the air, inferring that there were no traps to be had in this corridor. However, I as invited myself deeper into the corridor, I realised that this was no corridor; it was a fairly short room that had the same width of the corridor.

The interior was very different as well. Instead of the cracked and dirty walls I had become used to seeing, everything about this room was a sparkling white that inflated my admiration as a maid; the floor was a smooth, pale concrete that had absolutely no stains, the walls were a pale cream brick where no chips or cracks could be seen for miles and the ceiling was a traditional white plaster that invoked many conflicting feelings in my heart.

In summary, it was a stark contrast to the previous corridors I had painstakingly traversed.

Now glancing around the room in wonder, I knew I had to be careful; this room was different for a reason and the enemy may as well be nearby. However, I had no way to go but forward, so I made no effort to hide my presence.

If the enemy was anywhere near as smart or powerful as I think he is, he'd already know that I'm here in this room.

But that Issei was nowhere to be seen. In fact, approaching the edge of the room, I couldn't help but think that this wasn't even his home. The reason for this was the door at the end of the room; it was wide open as if I was being ushered into the next room.

I couldn't help myself.

I was tempted by the opening, tempted by the vulnerability of this new, strange room that I've never been in before. Even if the corridors had the same conditions as this room, something about it was…different in some kind of way.

I felt as if the air would be easier to breathe and that natural light would seep into the room so I was compelled to hurry over to the open door.

But I didn't forget my caution. Even though I was being driven by a strange desire to enter this room, I made sure to tense my body in preparation to react to whatever trap may be hidden in there. This room wouldn't be so free, after all. It must be trapped, especially when I considered the fact that every door before it had been shut tight.

Despite knowing this, I couldn't help myself.

I stepped into the room, throwing my caution to the wind, and gently smiled as a light feeling entered my body. I took a deep breath, my eyes closing as I savoured this feeling. I ignored the fact that my state of mind changed too quickly and that I was losing my sense of self and-!

Click.

Pierce.

Gasp.

All of a sudden, there was a hole in my chest. A giant, gaping hole that had demolished all of the bones and organs in the immediate area.

I fell to the ground as I was unable to move anything below my collar bone.

"D-dammit…" I moaned in pain as something flung me out of the trap and into the cleanliness of the previous room, the parts of my body I could feel burning as each nerve suffered a fate worse than death.

'Ah, death,' is something I would say if I wasn't busy holding back a scream, my teeth grinding against each other as I desperately resisted the fate I should resign myself to. But, bouncing off the floor and twisting through the air, all of the strength left my body.

I realised that I was going to die.

My blood spray onto the wall and onto the floor and I realised that I was going to die in this damned place.

"S-sorry…Sirzechs…" Was the last thing I muttered before I closed my eyes, my body smacking against the ground with a wet squelch.

* * *

"There's another open door…" I muttered to myself as I stepped into the room, following behind Issei. The human glanced at me from over his shoulder and nod once, showing that he had acknowledged my comment.

"Yes, that is an open door, Sirzechs. It's not like I didn't see it the moment it entered my view." I scrunched my face up in distaste as his overly sarcastic and offhand remark were unneeded. But I understood his annoyance.

Exploring the endless corridors, not enjoying ourselves, finding every door in the damned place open…his paranoia levels were rising at the same rate mine were. It was understandable, especially when I thought about our messed up circumstances, so I didn't respond lest I also be an asshole.

So an uncomfortable silence fell upon us as we slowly made our way over to this open door, Issei's hands stuffed into his pockets. I felt as if I needed to say something but my words would have been unnecessary; they probably would have served to piss Issei off instead of calming him so I knowingly kept quiet, my lips pursed as I endured the awkward feeling I felt in my heart.

But I didn't care about my feelings right now. I only cared about my wife and her safety. However, for all I knew, she could be dead, her body lifeless and unmoving. Her blood could be everywhere, her body mangled and twisted and littered with wounds, and she would cease to her exist, her limp body a reminder of the woman I had once loved.

I shook my head as those thoughts did nothing but increase my anxiety.

"Sirzechs, hold up. Something doesn't feel right." I tilted my head as my human guide and I stopped in our tracks, our journey temporarily ending just short of this open door.

"What's wrong?" I simply asked as Issei pulled his hands out of his pockets.

"It's just…never mind."

As Issei began to move again, his arms by his side, I took a moment to gather my scattered thoughts; what did he mean when he said something didn't feel right, where's my wife, where are we, is this next corridor safe, is my wife alive?

I released a heavy sigh as I continued to follow Issei, this journey witling away the hard edges of my mind.

"Sirzechs…stop again. Don't move. Something's definitely wrong."

"Huh?" I didn't stop moving as per the wishes of the human and watched as he visibly began to panic, his eyes wide and full of alarm as I bounced over to his side. "There's nothing wrong with this place. Nothing's happened yet."

"Yet!" Issei snapped, now glaring at me as I stood at his side with a frown. I, not knowing what was going on with Issei's strange behaviour, did not understand what was going on. So I foolishly opened my mouth.

"Seriously, though. If this place was trapped, we would have been attacked quite a while ago."

"Are you stupid now, Sirzechs? Did you hit your head or something when we arrived here? You've been acting somewhat different and I expected that would happen due to the situation but you just say and do stupid things now."

"I'm sorry. It's hard to deal with reality when you don't know if your wife is stuck in the past or the future while probably being dead."

This conversation was unpleasant. It was sudden, out of place and the truth, but it was unpleasant.

"That doesn't mean you can act like a clueless high schooler in a senseless piece of fiction!"

"A clueless high schooler in a senseless piece of fiction?"

"Yes. You know those stories where high schoolers say and do stupid things in a horror or fantasy setting?"

"Kind of…?"

"That's what you're being right now. So stop it before we're both killed."

I frowned as Issei turned around and stormed off, both us feeling the tension and how we're acting out of character.

While Issei's usually laidback and easy-going, not caring about anything and everything, he's now paranoid and unusually snappy.

While I'm usually childish and fooling around instead of being serious, I'm apparently being a clueless high schooler in a senseless piece of fiction, whatever that means.

But that doesn't excuse our actions. I should have listened to Issei and he shouldn't even been that angry at me. Well, Issei has every right to be angry at me as my foolishness could have cost us our lives, but I really should have listened to him…

All of a sudden, I felt a gaze pierce my back. Glancing over my shoulder, trying to find this unknown being, I used magic to increase my range of perception. I couldn't see or feel anything, though, so I faced forward and began walking again, attributing that strange feeling to my paranoia – hey, where did Issei go!?

* * *

I was alone.

Every time I was left alone, I tried to sleep. I tried to fall unconscious to forget my pain and regain my strength but I couldn't. Images – no, entire flashbacks – ran through my mind to remind me of what I have endured, to remind me of the nightmare I am living in, to remind me of the dwindling hope I was wanting to forget.

I wanted to stop thinking. I wanted to stop moving. I wanted to die. I wanted to _cease to exist_.

I knew no one was going to save me. Issei couldn't find me, Azazel couldn't find me, _no one could find me_. I was trapped, fated to suffer pain for many more days until I give up and allow that man to finally end my suffering.

Maybe, the next time I see him, I should beg for death and give him the satisfaction he desperately craves.

Ah, but I want to sleep. I want to relax my body and let my mind rest and death won't allow me to do that. If I die, I can't get the rest I want.

So for now, I will try to sleep. Even though I knew it was futile, even though I knew it was a waste of my time, I will try to put my mind to rest in an attempt to heal the mental scars that man forced upon me.

For now, everything will be dark until I am next awoken…

The sound of something heavy smacking against the floor made my eyes snap open, a figure groaning as they lay on the floor in a cloud of unsettled dust. "Oww…what the fuck is that horrible experience?" The said as they swung themselves into a sitting position, a hand rubbing the back of their head as the dust quickly died down.

Unknown to me, tears began to stream down my cheeks as I suddenly realised who that person was.

"Issei?"

* * *

 **Yo. Me here. Sorry about the delay. I had a week of exams at school and decided that I'd take a break to 'study' for the two exams I was destined to pass. Three (almost four?) weeks later and the end of the school year and I finally decided that I'd finish this chapter. Sorry about my laziness? Anyway, editing this chapter, I once again feel as if some of the expressions/transitions between paragraphs are little awkward. Please tell me if that's the case.**

 **Thank you for reading World's End.**


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